Harrison, facing the possibility of school consolidation, has formed a committee to explore education options for its students, including seceding from Maine School Administrative District 17. Supplied photo

HARRISON — Six months after volunteers formed a working group to explore leaving Maine School Administrative District 17, Harrison has formed a town-sanctioned committee focused on available options.

The Harrison Educational Options Committee’s (HEOC) mission is to provide clear and accurate information to its citizens and empower its voters to make informed decisions that best suit their children’s educational needs.

The working group had identified up to seven possibilities for Harrison children from pre-K through 12th grade, including staying part of SAD 17. Other options include school independence for elementary-aged students and sending those between seventh and 12th grade to schools in other districts through tuition-based agreements, or joining a different district.

“This committee was formed with the town leadership to aid our residents in making informed decisions on potential school options,” said HEOC chairman Mike Guiffre, a Harrison resident whose children attend school outside of SAD 17. “We will provide extensive details on how consolidation may affect our community and provide information for the residents to vote on. This is their town, their children, and therefore their choice. We look forward to becoming a valuable resource.”

Other committee members include Amy Gerry, whose children attend Harrison Elementary School; Andrea Lavery, a retired school administrator; Wendy Gallant, who runs a preschool in Harrison; Select Board members Deb Kane and Matt Frank (chair); and Town Manager Cass Newell.

HEOC will present Harrison’s Board of Selectmen with action steps to be carried out over the next six months during tonight’s select board meeting.

The committee is drafting a community survey that will be distributed in February.

After survey findings are released, a public hearing and special vote will be held in March. A second hearing will follow, with a referendum vote – whether to remain with SAD 17 or secede – to take place in June.

The committee will also need to tackle the operational and financial implications of separating from the school district.

A building inspection summary of Oxford Hills elementary schools was conducted in 2023, a required first step to apply for construction funding assistance from Maine Department of Education. Based on the report, DOE has indicated it would most likely approve funding by consolidating the most inefficient and under-capacity elementary schools. Supplied image

Harrison’s research into education options was spurred last spring when SAD 17 began discussions with its eight sending towns about two school construction plans that would potentially consolidate several of its community elementary schools into one centrally located facility, and transition all sixth grade students to a larger middle school.

Partial elementary consolidation would mean closing schools in Harrison, Norway, Waterford and West Paris, the buildings that received the lowest scores in a district-wide inspection in 2023.

Hebron Elementary School, Otisfield Community School, Oxford Elementary School and Paris Elementary School would all remain open.

In order to pursue building new elementary school for preK through fifth grade and middle school for sixth through eighth grade, voters from all eight towns will need to approve the plans in a referendum, slated for November of this year, and then the district would apply to Maine Department of Education for funding assistance.

Last year DOE indicated it favors construction projects that conform to three-grade middle schools and elementary consolidation models of 400 or more students.

West Paris students have already been integrated into Paris Elementary School since Agnes Gray Elementary School was closed last February due to numerous safety and life safety conditions. SAD 17 began the procedural steps to close Agnes Gray in November.

Guy E. Rowe Elementary in Norway – built in 1929, Harrison Elementary and Waterford Memorial schools would all close in favor of a new centrally-located school housing about 450 student, including those with special and individualized educational program needs.

In addition to going before Harrison’s Select Board tonight, Giuffre said HEOC is also drafting notices about its mission and work for HES and WMS administration and the towns’ combined PTO organization.

HEOC meets Mondays at 4:30 p.m. While previous meetings have been held at the Harrison Fire Station or Town Office, future locations may vary. The committee has established a public Facebook group, Harrison Educational Options Committee (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570895558348), for residents to receive updates and details for upcoming meetings.