STACYVILLE, Maine — The newly-formed RSU 89 school district, comprised of Mount Chase, Patten, Sherman and Stacyville, is seeking individuals to serve on its new school board.
According to Todd LeRoy, interim secretary for RSU 89, nomination papers are now available in the town offices of Mount Chase, Patten, Sherman and Stacyville for two seats in each of those communities.
Completed papers are due by Jan. 18, 2018, at their respective town offices.
The newly-formed school board is the result of the November election, which asked residents in those communities if they wished to withdraw from RSU 50. That election saw residents overwhelmingly support pulling out of RSU 50 in favor of forming their own school district.
Residents of Moro Plantation also voted to withdraw from the RSU, but will not be joining the other withdrawing communities in forming a new district. Instead they will simply tuition their students to either the Katahdin or Southern Aroostook schools.
RSU 50 had served 12 communities — Crystal, Dyer Brook, Hersey, Island Falls, Merrill, Moro Plantation, Mount Chase, Oakfield, Patten, Sherman, Smyrna and Stacyville. The district was a combination of the former SAD 25 (Katahdin area) and CSD 9 (Southern Aroostook) school districts and was formed in 2011 as part of the state’s push for consolidation at that time.
Withdrawal plans were put into motion almost two years ago, following a failed effort by the RSU 50 school board to close Katahdin Middle /High School during the budget process.
The election for the new school board takes place March 19 in the communities of Mount Chase, Patten, Sherman and Stacyville.
