By Jen Lynds
Staff Writer
HODGDON, Maine — Residents of Cary Plantation and the taxpayers of SAD 70 attended a meeting Nov. 5 to discuss the merits of a proposed agreement that will allow Cary to withdraw from the district.
Superintendent Scott Richardson said during a phone interview Friday, Nov. 6, 2015 that the meeting was sparsely attended, with only about 12 people coming to the meeting at the Hodgdon High School gym.
By a unanimous vote of residents in August, Cary Plantation decided to move forward with its plans to deorganize.
“We want to make sure the deorganization process goes as smoothly and as quickly as possible,” Richardson said.
Complicating the withdrawal and deorganization process, the town clerk and first selectman for Cary abruptly resigned last week. Marcia McGary served as the town clerk, general assistance officer and registrar of voters. Tim McGary was first selectman and animal control officer.
Those positions will be filled at a special town meeting set for Monday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the SAD 70 Superintendent’s Office.
As part of the vote to dissolve the town, a five-member committee was created to work with the state on all the steps needed in the process. Named to that committee were Diane Cassidy (chairman), Cindy Green, Bill Halsey, Jeremy Hiltz (town official) and Maureen Friel (school representative). That group must draft a letter to the Maine Legislature notifying them of their meeting results, the reasons for deorganizing and the names of those on the committee.
This committee has 90 days to come up with its deorganization plan. A target date of July 1, 2018, for completing the deorganization process was selected.
In order to continue with the deorganization process, the town must also pull out of School Administrative District 70. To withdraw from a school district, a town must complete a 22-step process that begins with holding a special referendum to vote on whether or not to officially start the withdrawal process. That article must state how much money the town will raise to support legal fees associated with the process.
Richardson said that the referendum will be held on Dec. 15. He added that Cary Plantation students will still be tuitioned to SAD 70. In the 2015-16 SAD 70 budget, Cary will pay $121,542 to send students to the district.
Richardson said there are 18 students from Cary attending SAD 70 schools.
According to the figures presented during the meeting, the cost to tuition students to SAD 70 is $7,123 for elementary students and $9,754 for high school pupils. There are 15 elementary students and three high-schoolers enrolled in the district; therefore, the cost to tuition those students would be $136,107. Transportation costs are not included.
Houlton Pioneer Times staff writer Joseph Cyr contributed to this article.
