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Consolidation Meetings
Wednesday, December 5 - Pownal Elementary - 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, December 12 - Finance Subcommittee of the RPC 7-9PM Pownal Elementary Library
Monday, December 17 - Durham Elementary - 5:30PM Meeting with Jim Rier, DOE /RPC Meeting 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, January 9 - Freeport High School Room 205 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, January 23 - Pownal Elementary 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, February 13 - Durham Elementary 7:00-9:00PM (Meeting postponed until February 20, 2008 - FHS Library)
Wednesday, February 27 - Freeport High School Room 205 - 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, March 5 - Pownal Elementary 6:30-9:00PM
Wednesday, March 19 - Durham Elementary 6:00PM Meeting with School Boards and Town Council/Selectmen - 7:30PM RPC Meeting
Wednesday, March 26 - Freeport High School Room 205 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, April 2 - Pownal Elementary 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, April 9 - Durham Elementary 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, April 16 - Freeport High School Room 205 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, April 30 - Pownal Elementary School 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, May 14 - Durham Elementary School 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, May 21 - Freeport High School Room 205 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, May 28 - Pownal Elementary School 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, June 4 - Durham Elementary School 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, June 18 - Freeport High School Room 205 7:00-9:00PM
Wednesday, July 2 - Pownal Elementary School 7:00-9:00PM
Education Advisory Subcommittee
11/19/07 Education Advisory Subcommittee Agenda
Education Advisory Subcommittee Charge
Information
Letter of Intent
Letter of Intent Additional Info
RPC Contact Information
10/30/07 Community Forum Presentation
Agendas
10/10/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
10/12/07 RPC Meeting Agenda with Yarmouth
10/17/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
10/24/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
11/7/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
11/14/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
11/28/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
12/5/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
12/17/07 RPC Meeting Agenda
1/9/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
1/23/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
2/13/08 RPC Meeting Agenda (Meeting postponed until 2/20/08)
2/27/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
3/5/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
3/19/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
3/26/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
4/2/08 RPC Meeting Agenda (Revised 4/1/08)
4/9/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
4/16/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
4/30/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
5/14/08 RPC Meeting Agenda
Minutes
9/25/07 SC Meeting Minutes with Yarmouth RPC Members
10/03/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
10/10/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
10/12/07 RPC Meeting Minutes with Yarmouth
10/17/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
10/22/07 RPC Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
10/24/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
11/07/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
11/14/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
11/28/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
12/05/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
12/11/07 RPC Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
12/17/07 RPC Meeting Minutes
1/9/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
1/23/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
2/20/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
2/27/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
3/5/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
Public Comments from the three Community Meetings
3/19/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
3/26/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
4/02/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
4/09/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
4/16/08 RPC Meeting Minutes
4/30/08 RPC Meeting Minutes (Draft)
UPDATE ON CONSOLIDATION - DECEMBER 6, 2007
From Chris Leighton, Chair Freeport School Committee
Last Thursday night Freeport School Committee voted unanimously to send the Reorganization planning committee ("RPC") plan to the Commissioner in order to meet the December 1 deadline. On the same night, the school committees of Pownal and Durham also voted unanimously to send the plan onto the Commissioner. This update is to give parents and interested parties some general thoughts about where this puts us in the consolidation process.
The most important fact for us all to appreciate is that this planning process does not finally commit us to a particular consolidation model. It is true that the Commissioner has directed all districts to submit one plan for her review. She will not consider multiple plans. However, we must all keep in mind that this directive, to submit only one plan, is a part of an ongoing process required by the consolidation law. In the opinion of the School Committee, our legal counsel that has studied the law, and our legislative delegation, if the consolidation model of Freeport Pownal and Durham is not right for Freeport (or, if Pownal or Durham decide it is not right for them), the Commissioner has two choices. First, she can request that the RPC continue to work to see if the problems can be resolved. Second, and in our view, she can consider an
alternative to the plan, an alternative which may see different partnering, for so long as the alternative plan meets the requirements of the consolidation law. The submission of the RPC plan to the Commissioner this past Friday was carefully crafted to preserve our right to present an alternative to the Commissioner should their appear insurmountable problems to consolidation, or should we determine the consolidation will not promote educational excellence in our community.
The consolidation law explicitly requires us to plan "in good faith and with due diligence". As elected public officials, this directive has a particular resonance for us, and we must be committed to acting in good faith and with due diligence in pursuing planning around consolidation. Consolidation is posing many tough questions for our communities. Running down the various financial issues is daunting, to say the least. The question of school choice is an important one for all three communities and will be a subject of much negotiation over the coming months. We have to decide who is going to own our buildings and how our various school debts will be dealt with. There are a number of union contracts with our teachers and our other professionals employed in our school systems that will presumably need to come together at some point. Importantly, the Freeport, Pownal and Durham RPC has formed an education subcommittee whose purpose is to study whether this consolidation model
will result in a net educational benefit to our communities. Remarkably, our superintendent has found out that there are only three RPCs in the state who have formed such a subcommittee. Our three communities have agreed it would be irresponsible not to study the impact of consolidation on the education of our children. Once this process is complete, and if the plan is to bring this consolidation model to the voters, it is imperative that we be able to prove that this consolidation model is going to promote educational excellence in the new consolidated district.
The Freeport School Committee and the members of our RPC are very much committed to working with our partners, Durham and Pownal. This is so for several important reasons, as presented below.
-As stated above, the law requires us to work in good faith with due diligence, and we are committed to doing just that.
-Importantly, Freeport, Durham and Pownal are all committed to excellence in education. We know that Pownal voters are very supportive of their school, that their school is much beloved by members of the community, and that they are committed to having their students attend Freeport High School as their High School. Because of our long-standing relationship with Pownal, many parents in Freeport are familiar with the Pownal educational community and are very comfortable with it. To be honest, if there is a question, it has to do with Durham because many parents in Freeport are simply unfamiliar with education in that community. One of the good things about the consolidation law is that as it has brought us together to talk about education our communities, and we have learned a lot about the terrific K-8 school in Durham that receives a lot of support from their community. Among the highlights:
-They are building a beautiful new K-8 school, with groundbreaking this coming summer. The community voted strongly in favor of spending local money to support additional improvements to the school -- a better roofing system, a larger gymnasium, and geothermal heating for the entire building.
-Durham voters have voted to support lower class sizes in their school.
-The Durham elementary school has had all-day kindergarten for the last four years, and teaches foreign languages beginning in Kindergarten.
-Durham test scores are remarkably similar to our test scores as well as the test scores of Pownal.
-Demographically, Durham is growing as many new families are moving to Durham, families who will support education!
-Something that is difficult to document but easy to see is the commitment of the Durham School Committee and many, many Durham parents to an excellent educational product for their children. We must all keep in mind that the reason that Durham chose to pursue a consolidation with Freeport and Pownal is because of the importance of their having a voice in the education of their children. In public meetings with their community, Durham parents want to know that if their students go to Freeport High School are they going to have the same access to quality programs, AP courses, and course selection as they do at Brunswick High School? By having a say in their children's education, Durham parents clearly want to make sure that their children have access to a great educational experience.
Finally, because of the long-term growth in educational costs, both statewide and in our communities, we need to explore the financial benefit of combining a community with a declining student population, Freeport, with a community with a growing school population, Durham. As School Committee members we been directly exposed to the funding challenges brought about by declining student population. We have class sizes of approximately 110 students exiting our high school, and our current kindergarten class has 67 students. While a large increase of students from Durham into our High School poses challenges that must be examined and resolved, a growing student population may prove to provide real educational opportunities as well as financial benefits to all of our communities. For the long-term financial health of our educational community, we must thoroughly explore this consolidation model.
In the coming weeks the RPC will continue to meet to work at the details of consolidation. It remains a very difficult and challenging job, and there is no doubt that the consolidation law itself is going to change because the Legislature has committed to changing it. For example, both the Commissioner and the Legislature committed to amending the law to deal with financial problems brought about by valuation differences between communities, and until we have that change we cannot accurately determine a financial model for the consolidated district. This change in the law will not occur until mid-to-late January. There may be other changes to the consolidation law, and if there are, we also hope that we will know what the changes are in January so we can continue our planning. The next deadline for the RPC is the end of March, 2008 when the RPC will
be required to submit a finalized plan to the Commissioner of Education.
In the meantime the School Committee and the Superintendent will continue meeting with parent groups, teachers, and other interested parties to discuss consolidation and to answer questions. As a community we all have to be involved in this effort. Ultimately the plan will go to the voters, and the voters will have the final say. It is our responsibility, and our intent, to bring a plan to the voters that is responsible, addresses long-term funding issues, and ensures excellence in education for the students of our communities.
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