Ludlow explores leaving SAD 70

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
MONDAY MEETING — SAD 29 Superintendent Mike Hammer, left, joined Ludlow’s board of selectmen Monday along with townspeople for a public hearing on the possibility of leaving neighboring school district SAD 70. No decision was made at the meeting.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    Ludlow residents attended a hearing on Monday night at the town office regarding the town’s withdrawal from SAD 70, which drew plenty of concerns and questions.
    Selectmen Ginnie McCain, Greg Dow and Donna Austin, along with Town Manager Diane Hines conducted the meeting, with RSU 29 Superintendent Mike Hammer on hand to field questions about the possible merger with the Houlton school district.
    The hearing in its simplest form was to let residents know that this may be an option if they vote to pursue the withdrawal process, which will only cost the town its legal fees since they have no debt with SAD 70. The voting on the issue, along with the election of selectmen, will be held from 2-6 p.m. at Ludlow’s Town Meeting on Thursday, March 29.
    “This is only the beginning process,” reminded McCain to the 30-plus residents gathered.
    The withdrawal proposal was started with a petition circulated nearly a week ago, said Hines. That was then followed by the hearing on Monday and a secret ballot vote on March 29.
    “This is the initial step,” said Hines. “This is a chance to get your questions out there so you know your reasons when you vote.”
    Concerns included bus schedules to the well-being of the child transferring between schools.
    The current fee to stay in SAD 70 is around $217,000 for Ludlow. The estimate to join RSU 29 based on state figures and the most recent town evaluation is between $151,00 to $168,000, which is a double-digit savings for the town.
    In the transfer, 46 students would be affected.
    The article to be voted on will state: “Do you favor filing a petition for withdrawal with the board of directors Regional School District 70 with the Commissioner of Education authorizing the withdrawal committee to expend (lawyer fees) authorizing municipal officers, selectmen to issue notes in the name of town of Ludlow or otherwise pledge the credit of Ludlow in an amount not to exceed (amount voted on at town meeting).”
    If the article passes, municipal officers will then contact the Commissioner of Education, form a committee to represent the effort and negotiate the terms of the proposal all within 90 days. The agreement must provide the withdrawal to take effect at the end of the school fiscal year. (The complete process is available at the town’s office. This is just step one and two of an eight-step process.)
    The withdrawal statement is submitted to Commissioner of Education who then gives conditional approval or recommends changes. The commissioner can grant or deny the withdrawal request even if the town supports it.
    If the commissioner approves, he will notify officers of the town and school board unit. Then, another public hearing will be held to discuss the merits of the withdrawal agreement. After that, a referendum vote for the town would take a two-thirds vote to finalize the withdrawal.
    If the withdrawal becomes a reality, which may take up to a year because of the logistics, parents in Ludlow can either send their children to RSU 29 or remain in SAD 70.
    “I would like everyone to remember, so they don’t feel pressured either pro or con, that you are going to have a long time to look at this through the process to make a decision,” said SAD 70 board member David Stevens. “So, the vote you are going to take, to clarify the way I understand the process, the vote at the town meeting basically is just saying ‘Yes. Let’s look at it.’ It [the vote] doesn’t say you can do anything as far as withdrawal.”
    Members of the group were disgruntled that Superintendent Robert McDaniel did not attend the hearing because he was involved in another meeting.
    “When I was first asked to look at SAD 29, it wasn’t about money,” said Hines. “It was about people wanting their children to be at SAD 29. That’s in the town report from last year. Obviously, it is an emotional decision, but it is also for the children.”