LIVERMORE FALLS — A Livermore resident asked Regional School Unit 73 directors Thursday to reconsider the decision to allow the Spruce Mountain area schools accreditation to lapse.

After some discussion, it was learned that the board could revote on continuing the accreditation process on at least the high school up until September.

W. Tom Gould, who is the husband of director Diane Castonguay-Gould, said that while there is good case to be made for continuing New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation of the middle and elementary schools, he was most concerned about the high school.

A school being accredited verifies education, he said.

Gould’s wife had brought up the cost of the accreditation process at a district budget meeting last month.

District Business Manager Stacie Field said it saved $4,765 in fees and dues a year at that time. The cost could come to $40,000 a year for each school going through the accreditation process, she previously said.

Director Gould previously said she was absent from the meeting the board voted not to continue the accreditation process of schools in February. All three schools in the former RSU 36 were accredited prior to consolidation and Jay High School was also accredited.

The board voted Feb. 9 not to continue with accreditation, after it was reported that the district’s administrative team recommended against it.

Tom Gould told the board Thursday, reading from written statement, that he had talked to a representative of New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

“The total cost of accrediting the Spruce Mountain High School over 10 years would include annual dues of approximately $2,370 and each 10th year the cost of mileage, room and board for three nights during the 10-year audit,” Gould said. “This is estimated to range between $15,000 and $16,000, which seems to be a high estimate based on previous cost. This equates to a total annual cost of approximately $4,000 per year. Since we were last audited in 2007 (Livermore Falls and Jay in 2005), we have already paid this bill for the next five years. We are currently exploring the possibility of a new $5.3 million facility. Cutting a $2,500 annual bill for accreditation while adding this substantial facilities expense, does not seem sensible.”

Voters in Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls will consider voting on adding two additions to the Spruce Mountain High School North Campus in Jay and expanding the band room space at the middle school on Tuesday, May 8. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in each of the towns at respective voting places.

Out of 102 public high schools in Maine, 97 are currently accredited, Gould said, according to the Maine Education Policy Research Institute.

“Allowing this accreditation to lapse would result in our high school being one of very few high schools in the state that is not accredited,” he said. “For a newly created medium sized school this seems to be the wrong foot to start on.”

Among other considerations, he said, is that with the vast majority of high schools being accredited, this puts the district’s students at a “distinct disadvantage” when competing for college placement.

“Of particular concern are colleges and universities outside of New England where no relationship between them and our high school exists.”

Another consideration, Gould said, is that removing accreditation will make the district’s graduating seniors ineligible for certain scholarships as this is a requirement to apply for them.

Other considerations, he said, is that an important factor when a family moves into a school district is the quality of the school system, and if accreditation is allowed to lapse there is no easy way to get it back.

Jay Director Michael Morrell, a teacher in Oxford County, said that his district just finished the reaccreditation process.
“It is not only good for the school, it is good for the staff,” Morrell said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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