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STARKS

Momentum grows in Stark to leave SAD 59

Officials cite growing support

By Erin Rhoda erhoda@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

STARKS -- The town continues to gather information and support for its plan to secede from the school district.

Town officials and residents discussed Monday night the feedback they've received since the special town meeting last week when residents unanimously voted in favor of pursuing secession from School Administrative District 59.

"The support has been tremendous," Selectman Paul Frederic said.

Residents have cited financial savings as a reason for the possible withdrawal from the district, which also includes Madison, Athens and Brighton Plantation. They have also expressed frustration about the district's weighted vote system, which leaves Starks' two school board members with 9.5 percent of the board's total vote.

Under the weighted system, which aligns each town's tax contribution with voting power, board members have made a number of decisions that many Starks residents have deemed unfavorable, including closing Starks Elementary School.

Selectmen and residents have said they believe Starks' fewer than 100 students would be better served in neighboring Mt. Blue Regional School District, which is based in Farmington.

In the past week, Frederic said he has spoken with Jim Rier, director of finance and operations at the Maine Department of Education, SAD 59 Superintendent Lyford Beverage and with Mt. Blue's superintendent, Mike Cormier.

All conversations were "professional" and "straightforward," Frederic said.

He explained that the town will utilize Rier to develop financial strategies. Beverage suggested that the town talk to professionals at the Maine Municipal Association and with officials in other places involved with similar withdrawals. And after his talk with Cormier, who said he would inform that school board of recent developments, the Farmington district is "at least leaving the light on," Frederic said.

He stressed the importance of maintaining working relationships with all involved.

"This is information gathering, and we haven't made a decision -- obviously won't for a long time. It's a very complicated process to withdraw from one district and enter another," Frederic said. "You have to maintain a working relationship with the folks who are leading the district you're in and leaders in the district you might want to join."

"We want to keep it friendly if we can," Selectman Joe Miller said.

In the last week, people have approached Frederic to join a committee to pursue secession.

He's also heard from Madison residents. "I likewise have been exposed to a few thoughts from Madison residents. One expressed an interest in moving to Starks," he said.

It was anticipated that selectmen would vote to form an exploratory secession committee Monday night, but the decision had not yet been made by press time.