Representatives from towns in Regional School Unit 1 (Bath, West Bath, Phippsburg, Arrowsic and Woolwich) agree they like a “cost per student” education funding formula, but are not yet in agreement as to when it should be implemented.

The school district's cost sharing committee met November 13 in Bath to share how selectmen and residents from each town have responded to either of five proposed plans. 

Selectmen focused their sights on two (out of five) plans for sharing local education costs among member towns: a cost per student formula and the formula that was adopted earlier this year. The current formula is part of state law LD910 used in the formation of this RSU that divided costs into thirds (based on one third student population, one third town population and one third valuation of a town).

Woolwich selectmen gathered at the town office for a special meeting an hour before the committee meeting to reach consensus on which plan they would recommend to the other committee members.

Selectmen decided the school district should continue to use the current LD910 (1/3, 1/3, 1/3) formula through this year and into next. They agreed the school district should then use the cost per student formula in the year following, for fiscal year 2014. 

“The board's feeling was that if we tried to put this out for referendum between now and the upcoming June vote,” Woolwich selectman David King said, “We wouldn't be able to adequately explain to people why we wanted to change. We figured that if we took the time to go one more budget cycle, we could transition more easily.”

Some committee members expressed their agreement with the added transition time. However, committee member David Sinclair said the Bath City Council has endorsed the cost per student formula and later in the meeting indicated the town would like to see a vote on this cost sharing formula. 

David Bourget of West Bath said selectmen there would like to see the school district use the LD910 formula for two more budget years, “because that's what the voters wanted and they would like to see how it works out before we change the methodology.” He added board members were concerned about the cost of a special referendum vote. He said his board might be receptive to recommendations given by Woolwich selectmen.

Phippsburg selectmen are interested in exploring the cost per student formula, according to Gary Read, but he said they would like to see the district continue to utilize the LD910 formula for cost sharing for the following two years.

Sukey Heard of Arrowsic said her fellow selectmen unanimously support a cost per student formula. “It is a very clean, logical thing to persuade other people; it looks very clear to everybody.” 

Asked by King if he had a sense of where the RSU board could go after hearing the evening's discussion, its chairman Timothy Harkins paused, then said, “Ah, no.” He had hoped the committee would come to consensus by September, but since that time has passed, he hopes it will come soon. Toward the end of the meeting he added, “a unanimous decision goes a long way to influence the board.”

Committee members did agree on recommending the cost per student formula for the 2015 school year, but decided to postpone a decision on whether that plan should also be implemented in fiscal year 2014. Committee members will continue this discussion with fellow selectmen, though some felt their fellow board members' minds were already made up. The committee will reconvene at the superintendent's office November 27 at 7 pm.