Dear Editor:

The Regional School Unit 12 board has formed a committee to actively pursue consolidation of the Wiscasset schools. If the RSU 12 board recommends a closure, or a transition from one building to another, Wiscasset residents will be forced to follow the RSU’s recommendations.

If the estimated savings for closing a building is a million dollars and we remain in the RSU, Wiscasset taxpayers will save approximately $350,000 and the other sending towns save $650,000. If Wiscasset votes to become an independent school system, we save the entire million.

If RSU 12 recommends closing a school and Wiscasset residents vote against the closing: The RSU has a legal right to charge our town the savings they lost, which would be 100 percent of the cost of the building maintenance, fuel, electric, insurance, etc.

The only RSU financial obligation would be the tuition costs of educating the students. Our taxes will increase.

If RSU 12 moves students from one building to another and continues to provide minimal maintenance to our empty building: the RSU sending towns do not need Wiscasset’s approval for this transition.

The RSU 12 sending towns will receive an estimated $650,000 savings for the transition and Wiscasset residents will once again receive an estimated $350,000 in savings. Wiscasset's desires will be irrelevant, since all board members from the sending towns will unite for their tax benefit.

The committee is being disingenuous to Wiscasset residents because RSU 12 believes they have convinced Wiscasset residents that regaining local control will cost more. This is not true.

It will cost more to remain in RSU 12 because: Windsor, Westport Island and Palermo are all in the process of withdrawal; The RSU needs a high school; and Wiscasset is a major financial contributor. This allows sending towns to maintain school choice and to continue to tuition 486 students out of the RSU 12.

Because of this financial burden for operating our schools, town services are being eliminated or greatly reduced. The town budget is only 28 percent of your tax dollars while the RSU 12 costs are 72 percent.

Vote to withdraw from RSU 12 in November. This is the final vote to retake our school system.

Sharon Nichols
WERP member