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To: Members of the MSAD 51 Community
From: Peter K. Bingham, MSAD Board Vice Chair
Date: August 20, 2007
This will be a bit long winded, but a lot has happened since my letter of July 10, 2007. After consulting with the Cumberland Council and the North Yarmouth Selectmen, representatives of our board met with their Falmouth counterparts. The result was the attached letter being sent to the chairman of the Yarmouth School Board by Beppie Cerf, the Falmouth School Board Chairperson, and myself on July 19 Consolidation Cerf ltr to Yarmouth It expressed the desire to have Yarmouth join Falmouth and MSAD 51 in a joint consolidation effort. Both Cumberland and North Yarmouth officials were provided copies of the letter. During this time, we also had another meeting with Falmouth to discuss general issues surrounding consolidation.
On August 6, all parties received the attached letter from David Ray, the Yarmouth School Board Chairman Consolidation Ray ltr It basically said that Yarmouth was interested in our proposal, but was also pursuing a union with Freeport as well possibly remaining independent. It obviously left a lot up in the air to say the least. There have been
several discussions going back and forth since the letter. Administrators from all three districts met on August 14.
We held our board meeting on the afternoon of August 15, and after about 1 1/2 hours of discussion voted unanimously to file a letter of intent with the Commissioner of Education to join with both Falmouth and Yarmouth. As you may have read, this letter of intent is due on August 31. So - what's next. I have attached a rough timeline Consolidation Time table that will most likely lead to a referendum in June with the combined district going into place on July 1, 2009. However, there are many twists and turns along the way. The Commissioner will notify us on September 14 if our plan has been accepted, or what revisions are necessary. One of the things that need to be done by September 15 is the appointment of Cumberland - North Yarmouth representatives to the Reorganization Committee. It will be made up of Dave Perkins and Susan Campbell of the Board, a representative each from the Council and Board of Selectmen, and a citizen from each community. The
superintendent will also serve. The community representatives will be selected by the Council and Selectmen. It is hoped to have the first training session on September 24. As more detail emerges, we will continue to keep you informed.
As I said last month, this is going to be a very complicated process. I also left no illusions that any money will be saved in the first couple of years. However, we are faced with the fact that over the next ten years we will have a reduction of 1,000 students in the four towns. It doesn't take a degree in economics to figure out that if action is not taken, that cost per pupil numbers will rise dramatically. I believe that within three or four years, we would have ended up doing something similar, but in the meantime would have talked the issue to death. Our administrators also believe that besides long-run cost savings, that there are opportunities to enhance educational opportunities over time. Another thing that
should be noted is that the administrators in both SAD 51 and Falmouth are hard at work trying to make this effort succeed. Given the fact that some of them will have their positions eliminated, they should be applauded for their commitment and attitude.
At the meeting, Bob Hasson brought us up to date on how he thought the 2007 - 2008 budget looks now that we have a better handle on fall enrollments. He reports that for the moment all looks OK. Given the high profile situation in Portland, you can understand why we're a bit on our toes. You may remember that we faced a similar shortfall last September as we had several last minute enrollments that affected our Kindergarten and Special Education budget. Fortunately our Superintendent and Director of Finance were on top of the situation, the board and the public were informed, and a plan to keep the budget balanced was implemented. We also appreciate the efforts of our staff and teachers who had to make several
changes to their routine. The auditors are in the district this week for their annual audit and should affirm our fiscal state. It is helpful that we've been using a new accounting system that allows the average person to keep track of things better and is compatible with the state reporting requirements. We're one of the few districts in the state that implemented the new chart of accounts a year early. Due to this early adoption of the chart of accounts, we are one of the few Districts that have successfully uploaded our financial data electronically to the State. That all being said, I've been in the finance end of business for 37 years and one thing I've learned is you can never be complacent, because it can all go to hell in a hand basket very quickly.
We also had a report on the status of the high school project. Bob Hasson and Bob Vail report that things are proceeding pretty much on schedule despite encountering problems with roof panels along the way. We will still have one wing roof left for next summer. The steel work for the new addition should start shortly. The new road has been partially constructed. As you remember we were able to purchase a small portion of a neighboring property which saved us having to relocate the track. One amusing unintended consequence of the new road was a reduction in the landing area of the shot put circle. Out state, national and international star, Becky O'Brien is now capable of hitting traffic at will!!
We're making changes so she can safely continue her efforts.
School will begin on August 30 and we wish everyone a successful year. Finally, our prayers and best wishes go to the Shepard-Kegal family as they deal with their son Marlon's recovery from an accident while traveling in Italy.
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