Voters in Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport gave their near-unanimous consent to a school reorganization plan on May 27, by votes of 45-1, 87-4 (Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor) and 64-4, respectively.
Pending budget approval, the plan will go into effect July 1, creating a new Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS), the lyrically named Rocky Channels School System (RCSS).
The vote dissolves School Union 49. Across Sheepscot Bay, the island community of Georgetown may complete the new AOS, pending a vote in 2011.
Union 49 Superintendent Eileen King praised the decision, calling it “a win-win situation for all the communities.” In addition to the financial incentives, the plan will leave control in the hands of local school boards, she said.
Voters trickled into Edgecomb Town Hall mid-afternoon Thursday. Only 17 had cast their ballots, but Election Clerk Martha Speed was optimistic. “We hope that many people come out,” she said. “We’re always hopeful that the voice of the voters is heard.”
The next step for the towns is a meeting on the RCSS budget at Boothbay Region Elementary School on June 14 at 6 p.m.
