Voters in Holden, Clifton and Eddington will be faced with the decision to close one of the area school district’s schools at the ballot box next Tuesday.
A referendum vote in the three Regional School Unit 63 communities asks voters to approve closing the Eddington Elementary School. The elementary school is one of three school buildings in the district.
The closure would save the district $669,950 by cutting eight positions and eliminating maintenance and operating costs, according to reports from the school district. It’s unclear how the closure would change local taxes.
School districts across Maine have been proposing or approving school closures in recent years due to declining enrollment and rising costs. The proposed closure of the Eddington Elementary School is no different, but it would require all three towns to agree to consolidate. Any towns that vote against the consolidation could be faced with a $669,950 fee.
The referendum to close the school will be voted on by the three communities. If all the towns agree and the school closes at the end of this academic year, Superintendent Sheila Caldwell said students would have shorter bus rides and the chance for more collaboration.
“There are a lot of things that will be positive about it. The kids will be in closer proximity to one another, in closer proximity with all the teachers, and then the buildings are more bustling and full because all the classrooms are being utilized,” Caldwell said.
Students will be consolidated in the Holden Elementary School and Holbrook Middle School, according to the district’s plans. Bus routes will be shorter because the stop at the Eddington Elementary School won’t be necessary, Caldwell said.
The lost positions, which include two and a half full-time teachers, will not affect student education, Caldwell said.
If the closure is approved, it’s unknown what will happen with the school and surrounding land. The school board can decide what will be done with it within the parameters of state law, but those discussions haven’t happened yet, Caldwell said.
Because a majority of “yes” votes is needed in all three communities, the school would remain open if voters in just one of the three communities decide against the closure. The process to bring the referendum back to voters, which took years, could be restarted by the school board, Caldwell said.
But a “no” vote comes with a price.
If one of the three towns votes against the consolidation, that community would be assessed a $669,950 fee, the cost to keep the school open, under state law. If two communities vote against the proposal, the cost would be split between them.
Even without the fee, it’s unclear whether approving the proposal would lower taxes.
In a letter shared on social media last week, the Eddington Select Board said residents should not expect lower local taxes if the town’s school is closed.
“If school-related costs continue at their current level or are shifted elsewhere, the anticipated savings from closing the school will not materialize for local taxpayers,” the letter reads.
Eddington Town Manager Shawna Hinkley did not respond to a request for comment. The letter encourages Eddington residents to ask the district questions and review documents before voting.
Although she could not speak to how local taxes would change, Caldwell said it made sense for the school board to send the proposal to residents because the district is basically “paying double” to offer the same education that could be consolidated into fewer buildings.
“The number of students continues to decline, and the need for an additional building is really no longer necessary for us to be able to provide the quality academic and learning resources and opportunities and programs that we provide our students,” Caldwell said.