York Town News
York School Department offers to accept Ogunquit students
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - After months of discussion, the School Committee has voted unanimously to extend an offer to Ogunquit officials to admit that town's approximately 50 students to York's schools on a tuition basis.The formal decision came at the York School Committee's most recent meeting, held Wednesday, Oct. 4, as a follow-up to a report earlier this year by the Ogunquit Subcommittee. The committee had been asked to explore a request from Ogunquit officials to consider accepting Ogunquit into the York School Department and using the Ogunquit Village School for classes or school programs.
Ultimately, York school officials determined that was not the best plan of action for the town, but agreed they would be willing to offer Ogunquit students admission into York's four public schools.
According to the agreement, the York School Department would accept Ogunquit students on a straight tuition basis, with the rate to be determined. There would be no official or implied representation on the York School Committee for the town of Ogunquit, and Ogunquit would be required to absorb the cost of transportation for its students.
The School Committee voted to reject the offer to use the Ogunquit Village School building.
Currently, Ogunquit students attend school in Wells as part of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District. Funding frustrations prompted Ogunquit officials to seek other options; however, if Ogunquit should decide to leave that district, such a change would need to be approved at the state level.
As of Tuesday afternoon, despite a private meeting last week, Ogunquit officials were mum on what their decision would be.
In agreeing to move forward with the tuition plan, York School Committee member John D'Aquila suggested an amendment to the subcommittee's earlier proposal.
"These students and the town of Ogunquit would be getting entry into our school system," he told his fellow board members. "I think it would be fair to expect there would be a cost of entry into all that infrastructure."
The board agreed that the price of tuition plus such a fee would be negotiated with Ogunquit officials, should Ogunquit decide to move forward with the plan.
York School Committee Chairwoman Patty Hymanson noted that there are approximately 49 students in the town of Ogunquit across all 12 grades.
If the offer is accepted, the cost to Ogunquit and the term of the agreement will be negotiated by the committees involved.
York Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione suggested a timeline for action on the offer by Sept. 1 of next year, unless the School Committee votes to extend that deadline.
The Ogunquit Board of Selectmen discussed the York School Committee's decision during an executive session held last week and requested Ogunquit Town Manager Phil Clark to write a letter in response.
Clark said he intended to write the letter over the Columbus Day holiday and would make the contents public after the selectmen have had the opportunity to review it.
In other business, the York School Committee voted to endorse the Sanford Vocational Center Resolution, a regional initiative to address such needs, in an effort to better serve students at York High School who currently are interested in such options but are turned away due to limited space.
Ogunquit reporter C. Ayn Douglass contributed to this report.
