LIMESTONE, Maine — The town of Limestone held a public hearing Wednesday regarding an upcoming referendum question that asks residents if they would favor withdrawing from RSU 39, a school unit that consists of Caribou, Limestone, and Stockholm.
The withdrawal effort was sparked by the RSU 39 school board’s recent decision to send Limestone High School students to Caribou due to anticipated budget shortfalls. Thus far, many residents have supported the idea of regaining educational autonomy within their community.
Because the withdrawal committee already hosted a public hearing on Sept. 11, during which officials presented the reasoning behind the effort as well as budgetary estimates for a future outside of RSU 39, the hearing held by the town on Oct. 17 primarily consisted of the Select Board members taking questions from the audience. Information also was made available on tables outside the Limestone Community School auditorium where the hearing was held.
Withdrawal Committee Chair Kathie Beaulieu addressed questions about the impact of the withdrawal on the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, which shares space with the Limestone Community School and pays about $430,000 annually in rent. Some feared the magnet high school might look to move out of Limestone. Beaulieu said that while a “bigger city may have more resources … MSSM has been successful here for 20 years and we would hope that they look at this community as an asset and not a liability.”
She also acknowledged that the school does need resources and enhancements to the facility, and that the committee supports those needs and “would like them to stay.”
Selectman Chris Durepo said that if MSSM left, it would put the town in “crisis,” but “we would have to figure out how to solve the crisis.
“MSSM is an asset and that’s what we’re basing this plan on,” he said, referring to rent from the magnet school helping the community with its education costs. “They don’t have any written plans about moving, though there is talk and thought at looking at where the future of MSSM is. We shouldn’t look at them as leaving but look at working with them to develop a long-term plan.”
One of the roughly 25 audience members present asked about a bill approved in 2004 that requires the state to cover 55 percent of state and local education, even in communities unable to meet the essential programs and services funding formula standards. He asked about the town’s prospects of “getting that 55 percent.”
Beaulieu said that the committee’s consultant has been speaking with officials in Augusta and that they will look into learning more about this funding.
There were no more questions and the meeting was adjourned after less than ten minutes.
