RSU votes upcoming with implications for school choice
According to the state, 20 RSU plans are still awaiting approval by voters, and a number of them have implications for school choice:
Alton/Bradley/Greenbush/Milford/Old Town: RSU plan would protect school choice in all towns except Old Town, which does not have choice.
Sedgwick/Penobscot/Deer Isle-Stonington CSD/Brooksville/Brooklin/Blue Hill/Castine/Surry: AOS plan would protect school choice in all towns except for Deer Isle/Stonington, which does not have choice.
Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor
CSD/Bremen/Bristol/Damariscotta/Edgecomb/Great Salt Bay
CSD/Jefferson/Newcastle/Nobleboro/South Bristol/Southport: AOS plan would preserve choice for all these towns except Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, which do not have choice.
Bucksport/Orland/Verona: Plan would preserve choice for
Orland, but limit it to 35% of students. Beyond 35%, Orland would face
a financial penalty of paying tuition to both Bucksport and the other
school for the same student. It is really more of a cost-sharing
arrangement than an abridgment of choice, but it certainly puts Orland
in the position of strongly discouraging choice.
Orono/Veazie/Glenburn: RSU plan preserves choice for Glenburn and Veazie. Orono does not have school choice.
MSAD 4/MSAD 46/Harmony/Willimantic: Preserves choice for Harmony and Willimantic, SAD 4 and SAD 46 do not have choice.
MSAD 44/Gilead/Upton/Rangeley/Dallas, Lincoln, Magalloway, Rangeley, Sandy River plantations: Protects school choice for those that have it.
Brewer/Dedham/Orrington/MSAD 63/Airline CSD: Preserves school choice for all communities except Brewer, which does not have school choice.
MSAD 23/Hermon: Would end a school choice waiver program
in SAD 23. Today, students in that district can get permission from the
school board to attend a high school other than Hermon. That option
will not be available to SAD 23 students, all of whom will be forced to
attend high school in Hermon.
In summary, only the RSU plan for MSAD 23 will put an end to school
choice options where they currently exist. Choice is to be preserved in
the other RSU/AOS plans, as the law requires, which is good news. An
AOS plan involving Acton, which has school choice, is still in
development.