Currents in Education
Town, school officials fighting to "Save the York Schools"
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - While the final word has yet to come down from Augusta on just what the state's education consolidation plan will be, the School Committee and Board of Selectmen continue to stand together in opposition of the current draft.
In a letter released last week, the selectmen and School Committee members urged residents to contact their legislators and the governor and make their opinions heard.
"The York School Committee and the York Board of Selectman are unanimously opposed to the existing State of Maine's Appropriations Committee's School Consolidation legislation in its present form," the letter reads. "We urge you to contact Governor Baldacci, Commissioner Susan Gendron, and York's state legislators to let them know that you are opposed to this legislation as currently drafted."
The selectmen and School Committee have presented a united front since Gov. John Baldacci first revealed his version of the consolidation plan as part of the state budget back in January. Since then, the plan was first revised by the Education Committee and is now being totally reworked by the Appropriations Committee, but as Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione pointed out during a recent informational meeting, that committee's draft leaves big questions for the town of York.
Among the issues of concern are the erosion of local control - as budgeting would be transferred to a regional school board - and the impacts on education for York's students.
In their letter, town and school officials reiterated that they support the stated intent and the purpose of the Appropriations Committee's draft to provide "equitable educational opportunities for all students, rigorous academic programs, efficient use of limited resources, opportunities to deliver services more effectively (and) preservation and enhancement of school choice opportunities."
The basis for the opposition comes from the fact that the current draft "mandates the reorganization of the York school district without local vote or an 'opt out' provision; requires the reorganized school districts to be in place by July, 1, 2008, which is an unreasonably short time to implement a change of this magnitude and consequently will negatively impact the quality of York's educational services; projects $36.5 million in state savings and $30 million in property tax savings without rationale or documentation; relinquishes local control of York's schools (and ) renders null and void significant aspects of York's Home Rule Charter, including the School Committee and the line item budget approval," according to the letter.
More information on the status of the plan is available at the York School Department's website, http://www.yorkschools.org/.
The School Committee will meet tonight, Wednesday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at the York Public Library. The agenda includes an update on the proposed regionalization plan. As always, time for public input is allotted during the meeting.
