To the editor:

We are led to believe RSU 21 will save $4 million by buying out the Thornton Academy Middle School contract. Let me ask you this. It costs, according to the RSU, $7,440 to send one student to Thornton. According to the state, it costs $10,237 to send a student to Middle School of the Kennebunks. With 145 students, to me that is an increase of $406,000.

We are also led to believe that students going to Kennebunk High School would be better for the RSU. It costs, according to the RSU, $9,153 to send a student to Thornton Academy. According to the state, it costs $11,294 to send a student to the Kennebunk High School. With 134 students, to me that is an increase of $287,000.

Buying out the Thornton Academy Middle School contract will cost $1.4 million, but students can still go to Thornton Academy and the RSU has to pay for it. Does that make sense at all? For Thonton Acedemy it does, they get $1.4 million and most of the students will go there anyway. Thornton Academy has decided to leave its middle school open as they believe Arundel resident will still use it. Even if half of kids go to Thornton Academy, that is more then enough to keep the middle school open and keep the programs in place. I’m told the RSU is looking into taking out a loan to pay the buyout. They can’t be serious.

The mold issue is interesting. The RSU wants to buy out a contract, leading us to believe it is better to send kids to a building where there is a health issue. I’m sorry the building was not built correctly and those who are effected daily with this inconvenience must be fed up. But I’m sure the RSU will find a way to spin the cost as a decrease in the overall budget once they find out how to do that.

I imagine the class size in the Middle School of the Kennebunks will increase, the teachers will be asked to do more with less money and support, the current building issues will get worse, the state will cut more money and all of our taxes will go up. I’m led to believe from Augusta down to Kennebunk and Arundel, officials have the kids best interests in mind.

Ron Couture

Arundel