The RSU 21 school board voted unanimously to violate the middle school contract with Thornton Academy, ignore state law, and speculate with more than $1 million of taxpayer money all in a matter of two motions. In an underhanded, deceitful, despicable and reckless move the RSU 21 board will try to offer school choice for up to 15 Arundel middle school students per grade next year.

This is a clear violation of the contract that states, “all” Arundel middle school students will attend Thornton Academy Middle School. By ignoring the contract they have also violated state law, which states, all contracts will be honored. State law also protects Arundel students’ right to attend TAMS in perpetuity.

Lame duck members of the board made their final vote for the one thing they got on the board to do, disrupt a positive relationship between Arundel and Thornton Academy that spans more than 50 years, and make up for building too many schools while enrollments decline.

The second motion was to buyout the contract in June 2011, for more than $1.1 million. This move simply creates choice for Arundel students to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks using taxpayers’ money for what they hope will be 15 kids per grade. That is more than $25,000 per pupil if they actually get that many. More than 78 percent of Arundel parents who experienced TAMS are highly satisfied. That leaves 31 to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks, divided into $1.1 million equals more than $37,000 per child for the choice to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks.

Who pays? Do Kennebunk taxpayers pay 70 percent while Kennebunkport pays 30 percent? Why would Arundel want to increase taxes to move kids out of a school we’re highly satisfied with and put them in a sick building? Air quality issues at Middle School of the Kennebunks are still unresolved. Do any one of our three communities want a school board that violates contracts and ignores state law

Changes in the school consolidation law now allow for communities to withdraw from an RSU. There have been increased costs and absolutely no educational benefits for anyone that could not have been achieved without consolidating.

Jon Renell

Arundel