By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

The Regional School Unit Planning Committee voted Aug. 19 to approve a formula to share additional local costs for operating a consolidated district, which would include Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel, though representatives expressed concern about maintaining elementary schools in each community. 

Kennebunkport Selectman Stuart Barwise made a motion to accept the formula for cost sharing with 50 percent based on the resident pupil count and 50 percent based on property valuation for each town. The committee approved the motion 11 to three.

According to this year’s property valuation Arundel will be responsible for 15.5 percent of costs above the Essential Programs and Services funding from the state, Kennebunk, 57.1 percent and Kennebunkport for 27.4 percent. 

Kennebunk Finance Director Joel Downs said the percentages could change every year based on property valuations. 

Aside from costs above Essential Programs and Services funding, some members of the board were concerned about local debt already accrued by Arundel and School Administrative District 71. Currently, Arundel has $18,000 in local debt while SAD 71 has $599,620 shared between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, said RSU Planning Board Chairman Maureen King. 

“You’re going to lose some support if you’re asking Arundel pick up the tab of basically building the new elementary school [in Kennebunk],” said board member Jon Rennell, representing Arundel.

King reminded the board of the importance of voters in all three towns passing the plan Nov. 4. If the consolidation plan is voted down, a 50 percent reduction of state allocations per pupil would mean a reduction from $210 to $105 in the first year, King said. She said towns can also expect a 2 percent mil rate increase each year for education until a consolidation plan is accepted. 

Following the discussion, Kennebunkport Town Manager Larry Mead said the draft the board voted on required the debt of towns be looked at separately.

“Kennebunk and Kennebunkport handles their own debt and Arundel their own,” Mead said.  

The motion also included a draft of additional language to address concerns of maintaining elementary schools in each community, which includes Consolidated School in Kennebunkport, Mildred L. Day School in Arundel and Sea Road School in Kennebunk.

Stipulations added to the cost sharing formula require a reevaluation of the formula if the RSU board decides to close an elementary school or if a town decides to keep the school open after the board votes to close it.

“If an elementary school is closed either in Arundel or Kennebunkport, and either community votes to keep that school open, then that community is responsible for the cost of keeping that school open,” Mead said. “In addition, there would be a change in cost sharing formula to provide additional support for the community that decides to keep the school open.” 

A different reevaluation formula would be considered if Kennebunk loses both Sea Road School and Kennebunk Elementary School. Mead said since students from other towns would still be coming to Kennebunk, Arundel and Kennebunkport’s contribution would increase by 2 percent, while Kennebunk would decrease by 4.5 percent. 

“I think putting this [reevaluation] as a requirement rather than a recommendation ties the hands of future RSU boards. When you tie the hands of the board, you take away the option to provide the best education for all students,” said board member Gayle Spofford, representing Arundel.

“This requires future RSU boards to really give thought to what the financial consequences are of closing a school,” Mead said.

“It is also a way to force us to think outside the box, and say ‘Let’s take a good look at this and see what we can work out.’ I think that if it came down to a huge financial burden, I have no doubt that any town would do the right thing [by closing the school], but I think it is important to give this option and have faith in our community that it will do just that,” said Arundel resident Leia Lowery. 

The board will seek legal counsel to assure the language is correct and the plan complies with Maine’s consolidation requirements, King said.

After that, she said the board hopes to submit the plan to the Maine Department of Education by the end of August for approval in time for the residents of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel to vote Nov. 4.

If voters do not approve the plan in November, the board will meet again to negotiate a new plan to be presented to voters in June 2009.