Talks are under way between Wiscasset and Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 on two potential partnerships, Wiscasset's interim superintendent Wayne Dorr said April 3.

Neither side has committed to anything, according to Dorr and Wiscasset School Committee members. The eventual outcome could be Wiscasset joining the AOS that serves the Boothbay peninsula and Georgetown; Wiscasset hiring the AOS for payroll and other business tasks; or no deal at all.

Speaking at the April 3 Wiscasset School Committee meeting, Dorr announced that two discussions have taken place so far. The first, in late March, involved him, AOS 98 Superintendent Eileen King, and representatives of both the Wiscasset School Committee and AOS 98's board, he said.

The second took place the afternoon of April 3, between Dorr, King and AOS 98's business manager.

Thursday night's discussion of the possible relationships with AOS 98 spawned a brief verbal go-round between Chairman Glen Craig and committee member Sharon Nichols. When Nichols expressed support for continuing the talks with the AOS, Craig said that conflicted with Nichols' past statements of concern about the idea of hiring Regional School Unit 12 for the business tasks.

“You can't have your cake and eat it too,” Craig said.

Nichols refuted Craig's take on her position. She said her concern about a new deal with RSU 12 stemmed from issues people have with the withdrawal deal; she has not opposed looking elsewhere for Wiscasset to form new arrangements.

AOS 98 will be coming up with a cost for the business tasks, and the AOS' board will be discussing the other subject of talks, the possibility of Wiscasset becoming a member of the AOS, Dorr said.

He described the talks so far as positive. “I felt we were very well-received,” he said about the session regarding membership in the AOS. As for the one about business tasks, he said, “That, too, was a very positive discussion.”

Dorr said it’s too early to know how much money Wiscasset stands to save if it joins the AOS. He emphasized that membership is a long way from happening, if it happens at all.

“Nobody said, ‘OK by July 1, we’ll be an AOS,’” he said. “There’s much to be done,” he said, making reference to legal and other work.

“We’re not in any kind of speed match here.”

Towns in an AOS share a central office and superintendent, but otherwise keep their school systems separate, and keep their own school committees, Wiscasset committee members have said.

 Wiscasset’s panel first talked in February about the idea of Wiscasset joining AOS 98. The committee at that time gave Dorr the go-ahead to set up talks.

Wiscasset would make AOS 98 a much bigger AOS, in terms of the total number of students served. Wiscasset has about 600 students, Dorr has said; AOS 98, about 900, King has said. AOS 98 serves Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, Edgecomb and Georgetown.