Dear Editor:

Many local taxpayers are finally realizing they’ve been paying way more than their fair share of the education burden in our area. But what can voters do about it and when?

We can all show up at an in-person vote on the AOS 98 budget scheduled for Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in the BRES gym.

Here is why it matters: Our local Consolidated School District (CSD) is part of both the Alternate Organizational Structure (AOS) and its corresponding Education Service Center (ESC).

In my opinion, this results in a murky crock of alphabet soup that causes sort of a “shell game” which further masks how much we all really pay for education. Of course, Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor will end up paying the lion’s share of all the huge increases if approved.

We already pay 100% of costs locally on some expenses that perhaps should be charged at the “higher” AOS and/or ESC level where other member towns would at least pay some small part of those costs.

So please mark your calendar and make sure you raise your hand that night, because there are no absentee ballots or early voting, like the other upcoming school-related votes. Thank you.

Tom Perkins

Boothbay Harbor