The Community School District (CSD) Board of Trustees approved a new tuition agreement with Edgecomb Aug. 14. Starting July 1, it lasts three years and applies to grade 7-12 students.  

Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler said the board shortened the agreement from five to three years due to ongoing conversations around regionalization, the future of schools and intradistrict relationships. The agreement sets a tuition rate not to exceed what is set by the state. For 2024-2025, Maine Department of Education reported a $14,080.88 CSD tuition rate. The board approved it 4-1, and the Edgecomb school committee will discuss it at the committee's next meeting.  

The trustees also gave Kahler approval to formalize an official Future of the Schools group under district leadership, a parallel move with the CSD School Committee. Board members were particularly interested in possible Maine Department of Education funding. The pilot project would be for a consolidated grade 9-16 school with a career and technical school, industry training, and integration with higher education.   

“It’s looking for innovative ideas and a creative approach to education, not same old same old,” said Rob Cronk, a member of a citizen-based Future of the Schools group, who was invited to speak by the board. “I think we’d be remiss not to at least apply in the first round of application.”  

In other business, board members continued discussions about their role as defined in the CSD Charter. They also talked about a recently formed Duties and Responsibilities joint subcommittee consisting of members from both the trustee and committee boards, which met for the first time Aug. 5.   

“I think we have a lot to discuss, because our vote doesn't even count right now,” said trustee chair Sewell Maddocks at the Aug. 14 meeting.  

According to trustees, the 2023 charter diminished the board's role. Now, trustees and subcommittee members have reviewed proposed draft revisions that could return some duties before the legislative closure deadline.  

“I don't want to lose an opportunity to at least begin a change,” said trustee Paul Roberts. “I don't want to go through last year again, through 16, 18, 20 meetings, to get to a budget meeting to find out that whether I raise my hand or not doesn't matter.”  

The groups are also reviewing draft charter language that sets a new cost limit required to initiate a bond referendum. Currently, any amount over $250,000 must be approved by referendum. However, board members said the amount is too little for substantial repairs, and the process would be too slow for an emergency. They discussed raising the amount to align with the cost of emergency flood repairs in 2022, or a percentage of the total budget.   

Both issues were continued to a Duties and Responsibilities subcommittee meeting Aug. 20. However, legislative revisions must be submitted to the state by Sept. 26. Both boards will need to approve changes before submitting them, which would also require legal review and likely approval from the towns.   

“Pretty much if we don't agree on this, we might as well take next year off,” trustee Ronnie Campbell said Aug. 14 about charter changes.

“I wouldn’t phrase it that way, but it wouldn't change what happened last year,” Kahler responded.