RSU 12 has provided the Wiscasset Withdrawal Committee information on items that will need to be negotiated during the withdrawal process, and according to committee member Jeff Slack, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

In an email from the RSU 12 Central office, items to be negotiated include: Wiscasset’s portion of $350,000 for the new Chelsea School is 35.08 percent, or $16,000 per year for 20 years; the cost of two school buses; and the cost of improvements to the Wiscasset schools.

However, according to the email, the district would credit Wiscasset for its 35.08 percent they have already paid in their annual allocation towards these items.

Other items include two loans, one with Camden National Bank for Middle School renovation and the other with the Maine Municipal Bond Bank for flooring at the Wiscasset Primary School; a six-year note for the photocopiers and printers in all the schools in the district is in the third year of the contract. The annual payment of $53,000 would have to be separated if possible, and the cost of two school buses running about $81,000 each.

The committee was unclear as to why, when Wiscasset joined the district, the town had five school buses and now according to the information from the district, there are only two school buses for Wiscasset.

“If we had five school buses when we went into the RSU, we want five school buses back if we withdraw from the RSU,” Selectman Ed Polewarczyk said.

The RSU ad hoc committee, appointed to negotiate with the Withdrawal Committee on behalf of the district, will be invited to attend the committee’s next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m., in the Wiscasset Fire Station meeting room.

In other business, the committee discussed the appointment, by the selectmen, of an ad hoc committee to research the options available to the town for the future education of Wiscasset students.

Polewarczyk told the committee he was uncertain there was a need for another committee. “I believe this committee can do that.”

Committee Chairman Mary Meyers agreed the Withdrawal Committee could do it, and pointed out they had already began the research for other options. However, to save time it would be very helpful to have assistance.

“The WERP (Wiscasset Educational Research Panel) did most of the research with all the pros and cons of the different scenarios,” Polewarczyk said. “I don’t know as I agree another committee is needed.”

Myers pointed out it was the Withdrawal Committee’s responsibility to come up with a withdrawal plan, but she was also aware the voters were expecting the plan to include the cost of alternatives to RSU 12 before the final vote to withdraw.

Westport Island Withdrawal Committee member Richard DeVries attended the meeting. “We met with Jim Rier (from the Department of Education),” DeVries said. “He told us that included in the withdrawal plan there must be a letter from an established school district stating that they will accept all of the town’s students, including special education students, for a period of 10 years.”

The Wiscasset Withdrawal Committee will be meeting with consultants September 6, to discuss issues on negotiations and exactly what is required in the withdrawal plan.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Wiscasset resident Cindy Rines suggested the committee hold a meeting to allow the public an opportunity to have a voice in the future plans for Wiscasset schools. “They may have some ideas that you may not think about,” she said to the committee. “When you talk about the buses, those are material things that can be replaced. You can never replace the good people lost because of the RSU.”

“All the Withdrawal Committee meetings are public, and the public is encouraged to attend. I would like to see more people come to our meetings,” Myers said. The committee discussed scheduling a public informational meeting for their second meeting in September to update the voters on where they are in the process and to accept comments and ideas from them.

Polewarczyk also asked the committee if the withdrawal agreement would be ready for a November 2012 vote. “If it isn’t going to be ready I feel the voters should be aware of that.”

“It is our responsibility to make every attempt possible to have it ready in 90 days,” Myers said. “We are already into the 28th day; our 90-day window is October 17.”

Slack said, “If we had the plan ready for tomorrow we still would not be able to vote on it this November.”

There are 17 towns working on withdrawing from their district in the state, and apparently none of them have done it in 90 days, according to Slack.

The Withdrawal Committee meets every Thursday evening at the Wiscasset town office meeting room, with the exception of the Thursday, Aug. 23, meeting, which will be in the Fire Station meeting room.

Questions, ideas or concerns, may also be sent to rsucommittee@wiscasset.org.