The meetings to discuss a pending merger between SAD 21 towns and Peru are this week.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Thomas Ward, SAD 21’s superintendent, has a lot of explaining to do this week.

The first of three public hearings on a pending merger between SAD 21 towns of Canton, Carthage and Dixfield, and the town of Peru, starts Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Carthage town office.

The second and third hearings on Tuesday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 17, begin at 6:30 p.m. at Canton’s town office and Dirigo High School’s Student Community Center in Dixfield.

After Wednesday’s informational meeting for SAD 21 residents and School Board members, Ward had his work cut out to find answers to a variety of questions.

Peru residents voted overwhelmingly last month to merge with SAD 21, approving a contract that establishes a cost-share ratio for local foundation allocation and debt service based 90 percent on property valuation and 10 percent on pupil population.

That contract also stipulated that a new state-of-the-art school, for which the state has set aside $10 million to build, must be constructed on the Peru-Canton side of the Androscoggin River. The facility would replace Canton’s and Peru’s aging schools.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Carthage and Dixfield residents, who have long paid a cost-share ratio based 100 percent on valuation, grumbled about the 90-10 split.

“You’ll see that 100 percent is better, but you’ll see that 90-10 isn’t bad,” Ward said before explaining the 90-10 split compromise.

Based on the present 2003-04 fiscal year, Ward said a 90-10 split would have minimal impact on Canton, Carthage and Dixfield’s local share.

“The 90-10 split is not exactly what everybody wanted, but the merger is what everyone wanted,” said Dixfield Director Sonya Fuller.

At 90-10, Canton’s share would drop $7,266, Carthage’s share would increase by $5, and Dixfield’s would decrease by $7,650. Peru’s would increase by $42,339.

However, Carthage must take into account that its student population is expected to increase in the next 10 years, while pupil populations in the other towns would continue to decline.

But if the merger is not approved, SAD 21 would lose $100,000 in state funding annually due to declining enrollment, Ward said. Or, the district would be forced to start downsizing programs and teaching staff.

The district would also lose Canton.

Officials there have publicly stated that should the merger not be approved, they would borrow money to pay off their share of the debt, and secede from SAD 21.

Some Carthage and Dixfield residents also objected to having their children bused to Peru or beyond when Ward outlined a possible reconfiguration to eliminate overcrowding throughout the district.

Although Ward explained that the decision would ultimately rest with the new SAD 21 board, current thinking has the new $10 million school being a K-3 facility with 340 pupils.

Dirigo Elementary School would have 240 students in grades four through six, Dixfield Middle School would have 240 students in grades seven through nine, and grades 10 through 12 would attend Dirigo High School.

Ward said the State Board of Education preferred this reconfiguration, because it would meet its goal of only building schools for 350-plus students. It would also alleviate overcrowding in SAD 21 and Peru schools.

When asked why the new school couldn’t be a high school, Ward said that would cost $20 to $30 million.

“Approving the merger is the fiscally responsive thing to do for SAD 21 and our kids. Faced with declining enrollment and declining funds from the state, we need another community to come in and help us,” Ward added.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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