PERU – An informational meeting on the proposed merger between Peru School and SAD 21, which was set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, has been rescheduled. The public hearing and referendum vote were also rescheduled.

Instead, the informational meeting is to be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, in the school cafeteria. But, the time could be bumped to 6:30 p.m. or later due to a basketball game that night, school board Director Lynda Hebert said.

A public hearing on the proposed merger is to occur at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the cafeteria. Snow dates for both meetings are Thursday, Jan. 29, and Thursday, Feb. 12.

The referendum vote by Peru residents is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24. Then, SAD 21 officials must schedule their own informational meeting, public hearing and referendum voting days, but only if Peru voters approve the merger.

Hebert said the board had to reschedule their three meetings because they were out of sync with the state’s timeline for the events to occur.

Superintendent John Turner said that after Maine’s education commissioner signed the contract to merge with SAD 21, Peru selectmen had to sign the document.

Then, according to state law, the vote had to be scheduled within 45 days after selectmen signed the document. And in order to hold the required two public meetings before the vote, that meant the referendum balloting had to occur on Feb. 24, not at the beginning of February as it was originally scheduled, Turner added.

Director Janet Rowley said Friday that since the referendum vote won’t take place until Feb. 24, “we figured that later in the month would be better as far as informing people about the vote, and informing people about the merger, and it would be fresh in their minds.”

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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