We, as parents, taxpayers, and town councilors of Freeport, will be voting yes for withdrawal on Nov. 4.
As six of the seven Town Councilors stated at our meeting on Oct. 14, we are voting yes because:
1. We believe that local control of our educational system is important; a stand-alone model is better able to reflect and implement Freeport’s vision and investment priorities for our schools than the current RSU administrative structure.
2. We believe that a Freeport-only district is better for Freeport taxpayers. The current RSU 5 cost-share agreement requires Freeport to pay 72 percent of the cost of education in the RSU district, while sending only 60 percent of the students. A yes vote restores Freeport’s ability to allocate resources in a more equitable way. It also eliminates one of the most difficult outcomes of the RSU model, where Freeport must continually override the rejection of every budget and initiative by our neighboring communities in an attempt to fund needed services or improvements.
3. The terms of the withdrawal agreement, which have been unanimously approved by the Withdrawal Committee, the RSU 5 Working Group, the RSU 5 Board of Directors (from all three communities) and the Department of Education, guarantees every child in the tri-town area has a place in our schools for seven years, and restores school choice for our neighbors. The data and research also support the optimal school size outlined in the withdrawal agreement (500 students). The ability to plan for known numbers of students, rather than the current state of varying enrollment projections, can lead to more a prudent and targeted investment in the high school for the Freeport taxpayer.
We also have individual reasons that have led us to the same conclusion, that a stand-alone administrative model is the best way to continue to build a quality educational system in Freeport. As one of our members said so eloquently the other evening, we will cast our votes for withdrawal because we “believe in the future of supporting education and investing in our system – a system that reflects Freeport’s unique qualities.”
We invite you to contact any of us to further discuss this issue, and strongly encourage you to do so. Our contact information can be found at www.freeportmaine.com. We look forward to working with our neighboring communities within whichever administrative structure Freeport residents choose on Nov. 4.
Richard DeGrandpre
Scott Gleeson
James Hendricks
Melanie Sachs
Andrew Wellen
Freeport
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