Two midcoast districts choose consolidation
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Two midcoast districts choose consolidation
Two midcoast districts choose consolidation
By George Chappell
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
ROCKLAND, Maine — Voters in the six towns representing SADs 5 and 50 approved the proposed regional school consolidation plan in Tuesday’s referendum.
Residents of SAD 50 communities Cushing, St. George and Thomaston, and SAD 5 communities Owls Head, Rockland and South Thomaston voted overall 5,947 to 3,615 to approve the plan for a new regional school unit.
But St. George residents opposed the consolidation plan with 1,020 against and 639 votes for it.
The other towns supported it.
In SAD 5, Rockland voters tallied 2,428 yes votes to 1,118 no votes, Owls Head voted 694-309 for the plan, and South Thomaston cast 671 ballots for and 281 against the proposal.
SAD 50 residents in Thomaston voted 1,067-441 for the plan, and Cushing voted 448-346 in favor of reorganization.
The state Department of Education approved a reorganization plan developed this year by a specially created reorganization planning committee for the two school districts, pending approval by the voters in the towns. Under consolidation, the two districts will be reorganized into one regional school unit with approximately 2,300 students.
St. George residents at a meeting last month expressed concerns about rising costs, loss of local control of the town’s kindergarten-through-eighth-grade-school, and declining student enrollment and its effect on the quality of education as a result of consolidation.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/92738.html
By George Chappell
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
ROCKLAND, Maine — Voters in the six towns representing SADs 5 and 50 approved the proposed regional school consolidation plan in Tuesday’s referendum.
Residents of SAD 50 communities Cushing, St. George and Thomaston, and SAD 5 communities Owls Head, Rockland and South Thomaston voted overall 5,947 to 3,615 to approve the plan for a new regional school unit.
But St. George residents opposed the consolidation plan with 1,020 against and 639 votes for it.
The other towns supported it.
In SAD 5, Rockland voters tallied 2,428 yes votes to 1,118 no votes, Owls Head voted 694-309 for the plan, and South Thomaston cast 671 ballots for and 281 against the proposal.
SAD 50 residents in Thomaston voted 1,067-441 for the plan, and Cushing voted 448-346 in favor of reorganization.
The state Department of Education approved a reorganization plan developed this year by a specially created reorganization planning committee for the two school districts, pending approval by the voters in the towns. Under consolidation, the two districts will be reorganized into one regional school unit with approximately 2,300 students.
St. George residents at a meeting last month expressed concerns about rising costs, loss of local control of the town’s kindergarten-through-eighth-grade-school, and declining student enrollment and its effect on the quality of education as a result of consolidation.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/92738.html






