The Westport Island and Wiscasset withdrawal committees are considering Wiscasset schools as an alternative 10 year home for Westport Island students if both towns withdraw from Sheepscot Valley RSU 12.
The committees from both towns are in the process of developing agreements with the RSU 12 ad hoc Withdrawal Committee to withdraw from the RSU.
All three committees have reported that, a plan to provide education for the district’s and town’s students for 10 years will be required for a withdrawal agreement to be approved by Commissioner of Education Stephen Bowen.
Westport Island committee members have been attempting to secure an agreement with RSU 12 to accept their students for 10 years because they say neighboring school districts have not been willing to start substantive discussions until the withdrawal is finalized, but the RSU so far has been reluctant to commit to taking Westport Island’s students for a full 10 year period.
The Westport Island committee attended the April 4 meeting of the Wiscasset Withdrawal Committee to ask if Wiscasset might be willing to enter into an agreement to take Westport Island students if both towns withdraw from the RSU.
“We think it’s a good thing for both towns,” said Gerald Bodmer, chair of the Westport Island committee.
The Wiscasset committee’s attorney, Geoffrey Hole, said he does not believe the withdrawal committees are legal entities for the purpose of entering into such an agreement, but the two could have a letter of understanding or intent.
Westport Island member Dennis Dunbar said his committee had similar thoughts, adding that if such a conditional agreement was a part of both towns’ withdrawal agreements, the voters would authorize it when or if they authorized the withdrawal.
“I think it would be better as a package so it all became official at the same time,” Hole said.
The agreement between the towns would be primarily in response to the requirement for an academic home for Westport Island students, and would serve as a backup in the event Wiscasset withdraws and RSU 12 does not have any agreement with a new high school, Dunbar said.
Ray Poulin, an educational consultant hired by the Wiscasset committee, said he would discuss the potential of such an agreement with Deputy Commissioner of Education Jim Rier.
Norm Higgins, also a consultant for Wiscasset, said a letter of understanding about taking Westport’s students is not so much about the document itself as it is about follow through.
“It’s about good faith,” Higgins said.
Gerald Bodmer, who is also Westport Island’s Second Selectman, said his committee is going to be meeting with the town’s other two selectmen on Friday, April 5 to discuss options on where the withdrawal process is headed. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Westport Island Town Office.
(Correction: an earlier edition and headline of this story stated the Westport Island Withdrawal Committee was seeking an academic home to accept the town’s high school students. In fact, they are seeking an academic home to accept all the town’s students.)
