LUDLOW, Maine — Voters in Ludlow will decide Tuesday, Nov. 7, whether they wish to withdraw from SAD 70, ending a 44-year relationship with the district.
Voters also will be asked if they wish to adopt a ban on retail marijuana within the community.
Both questions have been the topic of several public hearings and meetings in the town in recent months and are expected to draw a large number of voters to the polls.
The withdrawal issue has been discussed for the past year-and-a-half. Ludlow negotiated its withdrawal agreement with the school district. Students in grades 7-12 would have the right to continue their education at Hodgdon Middle-High School, as would any younger sibling of those students.
A superintendent’s agreement would be required for any other student who wished to remain in Hodgdon.
By withdrawing from SAD 70 and joining RSU 29 in Houlton, Ludlow officials believe they will be able to save about $44,000 per year to educate their students.
A two-thirds majority will be required in order for the withdrawal process to be approved.
If the withdrawal is approved, town officials plan to have Ludlow join neighboring RSU 29 in Houlton. Geographically, the Houlton schools are actually closer than the Hodgdon district, depending on which part of Ludlow the person resides in. School busses often drive through Houlton to get to Hodgdon.
SAD 70 serves the communities of Amity, Cary Plantation, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick. RSU 29 serves Houlton, Hammond, Littleton and Monticello. In 2016, Cary Plantation withdrew from the district and now tuitions its students to SAD 70.
RSU 29 has about 1,376 students in grades pre-K to 12, while SAD 70 has roughly 467.
Before Ludlow could join RSU 29, however, the member communities of that district would have to hold a referendum vote of their own to accept the town. If RSU 29 residents vote not to accept Ludlow, the town could become a stand-alone entity or parents could tuition their children to whichever school district they wished.
At public hearings held on the matter over the past two years, those opposed to the withdrawal have cited a desire for their children to remain in the Hodgdon schools, where class sizes were smaller.
The town has been moving forward with its withdrawal plan since April 2016, when residents voted 44-19 at the annual town meeting to pursue leaving the district.
In a letter to the editor submitted to the Houlton Pioneer Times, appearing in the Nov. 1 edition, SAD 70 Superintendent Scott Richardson, urges voters to think carefully before casting their ballot.
“We have spoken to many community members and parents who believe that the vote is about far more than money and projected savings,” he wrote. “Many people want to continue to have their families attend the same schools that they attended. Many people value the traditions and the family atmosphere fostered in the smaller, local schools that they know and love. Education has changed a great deal since many of us went to school. The needs, interests, goals and opportunities for students are greatly expanded but the avenues to reach those goals are also greatly expanded.”
The marijuana ordinance drew considerable discussion during an Oct. 11 meeting. Back in June, voters were asked if they wanted to approve an ordinance that would prohibit all retail recreational marijuana establishments as defined by the state. That ordinance would have included stores, cultivation and manufacturing facilities as well as marijuana social clubs.
That measure failed to pass by a vote of 66 opposed and 63 in favor. There are 307 registered voters in the town.
The matter was brought back to voters after selectmen accepted a citizen’s petition seeking a second vote on the matter.
