By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Members of the RSU 57 Planning Committee have been working on a plan to present to the state to consolidate the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel into one educational district. The consolidation plan must be sent to the state Department of Education by Aug. 15, allowing communities time to get the plan approved by the state and placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.  

Cost sharing for expenses over Essential Programs and Services between Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport funding was the focus of discussions by the planning committee July 23.  

“It is frightening to see large sums of money shifting between towns,” said RSU 57 Planning Committee Chairman Maureen King. “The state tried to sell it to us that [consolidation] is good for education, but the only outcomes they [the state] share are financial. They want to streamline how we do business.”

Currently, the number of students each town has enrolled in school determines the cost sharing for Essential Programs and Services. Expenses beyond the Essential Programs and Services budget are split based on 70 percent property valuation and 30 percent student ratio. The planning committee is looking at options to make the weight of property value and student ratio more even. 

Finance subcommittee member John Sharood shared the financial analysis report from the subcommittee’s July 22 meeting and the Department of Education’s financial template summary for funding more than Essential Programs and Services allows in relation to cost sharing between Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. 

The planning committee is looking at two out of five options suggested by Department of Education. Of the provided choices, option four weighs cost sharing at 50 percent student ratio to 50 percent property valuation in each community. If the committee chooses option five, 40 percent of cost sharing would be weighted on student ratio and 60 percent property valuation. 

The finance subcommittee also recommended additional regulations to be included in the consolidation charter for all three communities. The first principle would require the cost sharing formula to be re-evaluated every 10 years. The second principle requires an independent review of any consideration to open or close a school within the district. The third principle states if a change in schools occurs, the district would need to immediately re-evaluate the cost sharing. 

The committee has shared the financial analysis with the boards of selectmen in each community and asked for feedback on cost sharing.

The Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen addressed cost sharing July 24.  

“This is for the cost over and above the Essential Programs and Services. Whether we want to or not, we need to discuss and negotiate. This needs to move fast so we can fall with in the state’s timeline,” said Kennebunkport Selectmen Chairman Matt Lanigan. 

He said in subcommittee discussions, the Kennebunkport side was leaning more toward the 50 percent student ratio and 50 percent property valuation option. 

Kennebunkport Town Manager Larry Mead said this option would mean a $210,156 increase for Kennebunk, $241,808 decrease for Kennebunkport and $31,652 increase for Arundel in cost sharing from this year.

Arundel selectmen discussed the cost sharing at their regularly scheduled meeting Monday. Town Clerk Simone Boissonneault said the selectmen reviewed the financial template and options the planning committee recommended.

“They told the [RSU 57 Planning Committee] representative Dana Peck they preferred option five, but would be willing to negotiate,” Boissonnealt said after the meeting.

As of press time, Peck had not returned calls. 

Kennebunk selectmen scheduled a special meeting after The Post deadline to discuss the financial analysis. 

If voters do not approve RSU 57 in November, Arundel would still be responsible for 100 percent coverage funding in their school district. In MSAD 71, Kennebunk would be responsible for 75.7 percent and Kennebunkport would be responsible for 24.3 percent of the district budget. 

According to the subcommittee’s financial analysis report, penalties from the state would be applied to each district for not approving the school consolidation. The subcommittee estimated a reduction of state allocations per pupil from $210 to $105 in the first year. The Department of Education has stated monies withheld from communities that do not approve RSU plans will be redistributed to communities that do approve consolidation. Towns can also expect a 2 percent mil rate increase each year for contribution to education, King said.

If penalties are applied, the finance committee estimated MSAD 71 would have to cut the budget and 40 to 50 staff members from the current 385. The planning committee as a whole said these penalties would have a major negative impact on education in the district. 

King said the committee needs to present the opportunities consolidation has to offer to the public.

She said the committee has generated a list of opportunities that benefit education, board members, administration, transportation, technology and special education. These opportunities include students having the same curriculum objectives from kindergarten through high school, common staff and curriculum planning for resource and technique sharing, a single calendar with a common mission, purpose and goals, bulk purchasing power for supplies and sharing of staff development and conferences. Additional opportunities derived from consolidation include special education offered at a lower cost for the district versus the smaller number of students in each school. Resources for technology would also be increased under a consolidated district, according to King.

“While I’m not going to make promises that it [consolidation] will save the towns buckets of money, but in the long run, it is a great educational benefit to the communities,” King said. 

The next RSU 57 Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Kennebunk Town Hall in the meeting rooms on the third floor.