Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008

Kittery, WOCSD committees take no action
Both challenged by consolidation restrictions

By ROBYN BURNHAM
Staff Writer

KITTERY — School committees from Kittery and Wells-Ogunquit school districts decided on Tuesday that joining a regional school unit or alternative structure would not result in significant cost savings or benefit students in either district. The towns met at the request of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron in August, but took no action.

Neither Kittery nor Wells-Ogunquit have had a plan approved by the Department of Education, which is required by law by Jan. 30, 2009, to avoid penalties. The communities contiguous to each district have filed plans or been approved already, leaving the non-contiguous districts – Kittery and Wells-Ogunquit – struggling with their options.

“There are certainly challenges in being non-contiguous,” said Larry Littlefield, Kittery superintendent. “It’s a challenge to see where those savings are going to be.”

Each committee said their administrative staff is as small as it can be. In Kittery, the school district hasn’t had a finance director and has been working with the town to merge some of those responsibilities.

Wells-Ogunquit Superintendent Ed McDonough said his district was in talks with Kennebunk and Kennebunkport – contiguous neighbors – to combine some administrative functions before the school consolidation legislation even existed.

Each district has worked with their contiguous neighbors over the last year and half, but since then, York was approved to stand alone, Maine School Administrative District 35 is exempt because of student enrollment, and the Kennebunks and Arundel group declined to start their work over again with Wells-Ogunquit in July.

“We’re at an impasse, and it’s hurting education,” said Patti Ayer of the Kittery School Committee. “It’d be nice if a state official came into the district and talked to students to see how it has truly affected them in the last year.”

The Kittery School Committee had its regularly scheduled meeting following the joint meeting and decided to take no action, according to Littlefield. When the committee meets again in two weeks, they will discuss their options further, Littlefield said Wednesday. The district is also looking to its legislators to introduce a bill in January to address the situation of Kittery and other districts in the state.

Legally, Kittery would not be able to meet “doughnut-holed” status, because student enrollment is less than 1,200. School districts that exercise due diligence in efforts to consolidate, but are rejected by all other surrounding districts, can be deemed doughnut-holed if their enrollment is more than 1,200; Wells-Ogunquit is 1,465.

The Wells-Ogunquit School Committee will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Wells High School.

— Staff Writer Robyn Burnham can be contacted by calling 282-1535, Ext. 329, or via e-mail at rburnham@gwi.net.