The Wiscasset Withdrawal Committee, currently preparing the withdrawal agreement from the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit, has requested an extension from the Department of Education in presenting that agreement. The committee voted unanimously to sign the extension letter at their meeting October 11.

RSU 12 includes schools in Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Westport Island, Windsor, Wiscasset and Whitefield.

The withdrawal committee was in executive session with their consultants, Norm Higgins and Raymond Poulin, from 5 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. The regular meeting had been scheduled for approximately 6 p.m. thus keeping about 10 members of the public waiting for about 45 minutes, with eight of them being “Problems of Democracy” students.

One member of the public, who was not a student, asked three questions:

Why they had not started their meeting at 6 p.m as was advertised? Chairman Mary Myers apologized for the delay, and said the committee didn’t expect the executive session to go as long as it had; however, it was necessary;

Why did the committee request an extension? Committee member Tim Merry explained that their deadline was October 17, and he had been told by the Department of Education that no town had been able to have the withdrawal agreement ready within 90 days of the committee's start;

Does every member on the committee want to withdraw from the RSU? Myers said, “We have a job to do, that is to prepare a withdrawal agreement for the voters of Wiscasset to decide upon. We have our own opinions, but they are not shared at this table. It will be up to the voters to decide.”

In other business, the committee voted 3-1 in favor of tabling the decision to have the following items contracted or local in their agreement plan: transportation, maintenance/operation; special education; technology; and food service.

Committee member Jefferson Slack made the motion to table those items until they received more information.

Withdrawal committee Member Tim Merry said it was the goal of the committee to have as much become local as possible. “We need to look at the best deals, but we must also look for quality.”

Administrative structure

The withdrawal committee had voted in its last meeting to propose to the voters that Wiscasset have its own superintendent of schools and administrative office.

The committee plan to propose a full-time superintendent, with one business manager, one bookkeeper, one secretary, one accounts receivable employee, one full-time special education director and one part-time special education secretary.

Due to a lack of information on the costs, the committee hasn't decided whether or not the town will have a part-time or full-time transportation/maintenance director; and a part-time or full-time technology director.

The committee members expressed concern that more members of the public are not attending their meetings. “This is a very important issue to Wiscasset, and to the education of our students,” Myers said.

The committee also encouraged people to send emails, expressing thoughts and questions, to rsucommittee@wiscasset.org

The committee’s next meeting will be October 25, at 6 p.m. at the town office meeting room.

Charlotte Boynton can be reached at 844-4632 or cboynton@wiscassetnewspaper.com