In their first meeting with the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit representatives, the Westport Island withdrawal committee was asked to wait to negotiate a plan until after they see what Wiscasset voters do.

RSU Ad-hoc Negotiation Committee Chairman Melinda Caron said their legal advisers have suggested that “we hammer out Wiscasset’s agreement first and see what the voters decide, before we negotiate Westport Island’s withdrawal plan.

Withdrawal committee member Richard DeVries said, “I agreed that would be a sound decision.”

However, withdrawal committee member Dennis Dunbar said he believes Westport Island should move forward with their withdrawal plan.

“If you want to continue in partnership with RSU 12, why rush? What harm will it do to wait to see what Wiscasset decides to do?” Caron said.

“If Wiscasset pulls out of the RSU, we will no longer have a high school,” Caron said.

Wiscasset’s withdrawal from the RSU is the first time a withdrawal may cause the RSU to look for a high school for their students.

DeVries said, “There is no time frame to have a plan approved. Let’s look at this at a point of view at what makes common sense.”

Westport Island’s withdrawal plan is to continue partnering with RSU 12 for their students, administrative services, and transportation, and even suggests that if Westport Island did not join another OAS, RSU, or SAD within two years, they could become members of RSU 12.

Westport Island also asked the RSU 12 to commit to two contracts, one for the administrative services, and another for the transportation services.

“We (the RSU members) are in a difficult position, as well as Westport Island, with the uncertainty surrounding Wiscasset,” Holme said.

Westport Island Withdrawal Committee member Richard DeVries asked what the RSU legal advisers thought of the proposed withdrawal plan.

According to Holme, the withdrawal plan assumes the RSU would provide services to Westport Island if the town voted to withdraw. “It’s almost like you’re not withdrawing,” she said.

Caron suggested that Westport Island contact the Maine Attorney General to ask if the town has to go through the withdrawal process if they feel they want to stay in the RSU.

Dunbar said it was made very clear to them by James Rier, of the Department of Education, once the town voted to withdrawal from an RSU; it is the withdrawal committee’s charter to present a plan to the voters.

Bodmer said, “Is this a workable document?” referring to the withdrawal plan.

Holme said that both the withdrawal committee and the RSU board had some work to do. The RSU must decide if they are willing to provide the services Westport Island is requesting. They would also contact central office to come up with the cost of providing administrative services, and well as transportation costs.

The action items for the withdrawal committee include: deciding on requesting another extension from the Department of Education for the Withdrawal agreement; the current extension expires on December 19; discuss the suggestion of waiting to negotiate the plan until after Wiscasset’s withdrawal as been decided; and contact the Maine Attorney General for a ruling on the RSU withdrawal process.

The RSU 12 board of directors will meet Thursday, Dec. 13; the agenda may include the Westport Island Withdrawal plan.

The next meeting between the RSU and Westport Island withdrawal committee will be scheduled after December 17.

Charlotte Boynton can be reached at 207-844-4532 or cboynton@wiscassetnewspaper.com.