I am joining six of Freeport’s seven councilors in voting for RSU withdrawal. The RSU is slower to adapt and less capable of the long-range fiscal planning that is historically a strength of our town. I served on the Freeport council for six years, three before the RSU, and three after turning over properties and education to a new bureaucracy, RSU 5. As a result, I am still convinced that returning to a local control model is more likely to achieve a highly effective and tax-efficient school system that attracts and retains students.
A costly downside of the RSU is its near-complete separation from Freeport’s strong financial management, infrastructure, and long-range planning assets. The RSU will continue to be less effective addressing challenges and taking advantage of opportunities than one run by Freeport. The RSU diffuses money and energies across two counties, three towns, more buildings and administration. When created, RSU negotiators met demands of partner towns that Freeport effectively pay 15-20 percent more per student pupil, just to gain their agreement to join. These demands will continue under the RSU. Some of the same RSU proponents at the table then, are the same pushing it today. They made big assumptions then that later proved to be wrong and costly.
Supporters of the RSU model who say Freeport-run schools will face program pressures and rising costs are making predictions akin to, “the sun will rise in the morning.” These are typical for schools, but a Freeport model better addresses them. For dire predictions and inflated costs to occur, supporters of the RSU model claim that once the doors are unlocked on the high school, all the kids will run for the exits. These assumptions place little faith in our town and oversimplify the mindset of good Pownal and Durham families.
Joe Migliaccio
Freeport
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