ROCKLAND, Maine — Rockland taxpayers could see their costs jump as much as $3 million annually if the city withdraws from the regional school district.
That was the conclusion of Regional School Unit 13 Business Manager Peter Orne, who made a presentation Thursday night to the school board. His report, however, was met with skepticism by two Rockland school board members who spearheaded the petition drive that will lead to a Nov. 3 vote to begin the withdrawal process.
Rockland Mayor Frank Isganitis also questioned the financial projections.
RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said the financial figures were not slanted or designed to influence Rockland residents in the November referendum. Orne said he put the numbers together based on previous Maine municipal withdrawals from regional school units. He said emotion did not play into his compilation of the financial projection.
Orne said that Rockland withdrawing from a regional district could reduce state subsidy and shift special education costs to the city that are now borne districtwide.
He said the increased cost to Rockland ranges from $1.5 million to as much as $3 million annually.
He estimated a Rockland school budget would be $16,175,000. He said net costs after revenues would be $11.7 million compared to the $8.7 million Rockland currently pays to RSU 13.
The remaining four towns of RSU 13 also would see higher costs if Rockland withdrew, he said. Thomaston would pay an additional $450,000, Cushing an extra $375,000, and Owls Head and South Thomaston each would pay an additional $337,000 annually.
Rockland board member Donald Robishaw Jr., who was one of the people who spearheaded the petition drive to begin the withdrawal process, said the financial projections do not take into account any savings the city would see from efficiencies.
Robishaw and Rockland board member Esther “Tess” Kilgour unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the presentation from being made at the meeting. They argued it was premature to make such a presentation before Rockland had even voted on beginning the withdrawal process.
Kilgour said the school board was trying to interfere with the city residents’ right to decide on its own what it wants for its schools.
Rockland’s mayor raised similar concerns. Isganitis said city officials were unable to get financial projections from the district when St. George was considering withdrawing but now the district has figures before Rockland has even started the process.
“I feel Pollyannaish. I hope we can work this out,” Isganitis said, but he questioned whether the district was trying to influence Rockland voters with the financial projections.
Rockland is the largest community within RSU 13 which was created by a November 2008 referendum in the communities that made up School Administrative District 5 (Rockland, Owls Head and South Thomaston) and SAD 50 (Thomaston, St. George and Cushing).
St. George withdrew from RSU 13 last month following a multiyear effort and a November 2014 vote in that town.
Rockland has about 725 students out of the 1,730 in the district and pays 41 percent of the expenses. Thomaston is the second largest RSU 13 community with 355 students.
Kilgour has said that filing of the petition was only the first of 22 steps required by state law to have a community withdraw from a regional school unit. Kilgour, who also is seeking re-election to the RSU 13 Board, said the referendum vote in November was to allow the community to study the benefits and disadvantages of breaking away and being its own school system. She said a “yes” vote by a majority of voters would not guarantee a withdrawal.
According to the Maine Department of Education website, if a majority of Rockland voters approve the referendum, the state would direct the city to create a withdrawal committee.
The withdrawal committee would consist of one city councilor, one member of the organizing committee, a citizen at large and one school board representative from Rockland. That committee would then negotiate with the school district on terms of withdrawal.
If a plan is developed and approved by the education commissioner, a second vote would be held in the city to determine whether to withdraw.
After Thursday’s presentation, the school board voted 7-0 to voice support for the regional school district. Kilgour and Robishaw abstained, saying it was premature to vote on this resolve with the withdrawal vote approaching.
The administration is expected to unveil next month its “Schools of Our Future” initiative. That could result in the consolidation of schools in the district. Robishaw said the only potential part of the plan he has seen involved the closure of the Gilford Butler elementary school in South Thomaston with an addition to the Owls Head Central elementary school.