To the Editor:
On Jan. 27, the citizens of 11 Lincoln County towns will decide the future course of education in their towns when they vote whether or not to approve the Alternative Organizational Structure plan formulated by a joint Regional Planning Committee.
It is not a vote for or against consolidation; rather, it is a necessary vote to satisfy the state mandate and avoid financial penalties. A “yes” vote means that the town will become part of the Central Lincoln County School System. Towns affected are Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Nobleboro, South Bristol, Jefferson, Edgecomb, Southport, Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor.
The RPC has worked for many months on this plan in which the towns retain control over school committees and property, and secondary school choice is assured. Public hearings on the plan have not been well attended. We hope that this is because people either understand the plan, or trust their local school committees. However, the vote on Jan 27 is critical and I urge you, not only to cast your ballot, but to vote “yes.”
Bob Westrich, Jefferson
(Bob Westrich is a member of the Jefferson School Committee-Ed.)