RSU 68 taking a wait and see approach to Atkinson
MONSON — On Election Day, Nov. 8, residents of Atkinson were scheduled to make a decision on whether the town should withdraw from the Milo-based SAD 41 (a separate initiative from the deorganization plan which calls for students to attend RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy ).
If the vote is “Yes” then the selectmen would be authorized to form a withdrawal committee and use up to $20,000 from an Atkinson school trust fund for related expenses such as legal fees. By withdrawing from SAD 41, Atkinson would look to become a part of RSU 68.
During a Nov. 1 meeting of the RSU 68 school board, Superintendent Stacy Shorey said she has sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education per Atkinson’s request as part of the withdrawal process.
“The earliest we would do anything with Atkinson is the 2018-19 school year,” she said, as the both the withdrawal and deorganization processes would involve more steps to be taken in 2017 to come to fruition.
In his report, Board Chair Rick Johnston said the “building and grounds committee is working really hard for the future.” He said enrollment is up at the SeDoMoCha School and numbers could climb with the addition of up to about two dozen pupils from Atkinson.
“We really need to keep the Atkinson thing on the forefront,” Johnston said.
SeDoMoCha School Principal Julie Kimball said the RSU 68 Association recently held a drive to collect items for Socktober. Students across the elementary and middle schools brought in 782 pairs of socks by the end of the week to be distributed to the homeless in the Bangor area.
“Congratulations to our field hockey champions,” Kimball said. “They had a wonderful season along with all our sports teams.”
The SeDoMoCha Middle School field hockey team captured the Penquis League championship with a 2-0 victory over the Ridge View Community School, concluding an unbeaten season with the squad giving up zero goals in 12 games.
With the fall sports season over, appointments were made for the winter teams. These coaches are Jay Nutter, boys A basketball; Tom Sands, boys B basketball; Alexis Coleman, girls A basketball; Karen Snow, girls B basketball; and Robin Brasslett, cheering.
In his report, Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey said the football team played the weekend before in a Class C North quarterfinal at Oceanside High School of Rockland. The fifth-seeded Ponies lost, 27-7, at the No. 4 team.
Shorey said Foxcroft has made the postseason each of the last four years since the Maine Principal’s Association switched from three classes to four.
“Word on the street is we might be going Class D next year, we’ll wait and see,” Shorey said. Such a move would have Foxcroft go from one of the smallest schools in its classification to possibly the largest, and also put many of its former rivals under the three-class system — such as Dexter, Bucksport, Orono, Mattanawcook, Stearns and others — back on the schedule.