Around 30 Kingfield residents gathered at Kingfield Elementary School on Tuesday, March 24, to discuss a draft budget made by the withdrawal committee. The budget is one of 22 steps in the process of withdrawal from Maine School Administrative District 58.

Six members of the committee presented the budget and explained line-by-line where funding was allotted and for what reason. The meeting was a way to keep the withdrawal process transparent.

They reiterated throughout the discussion that this is simply a draft budget to show the state that the creation of a new district is feasible. The numbers are subject to change if a new district is created.

Debates dragged on between residents who have mixed feelings about the proposal. One constant remained the same among those in attendance. They want to keep Kingfield Elementary School open.

Under the current withdrawal proposal, high schoolers would attend Mount Abram High School, with no changes to cost compared to the current procedure.

At the meeting, the committee drew up a “like” and “dislike” chart with comments from the public. Among the pros were comments such as “It keeps K-8 in Kingfield,” “Full-time social worker” and “Affordable.” The cons included “Lower number of teachers compared to MSAD 58,” “Class sizes require more support for teachers” and “It hinges on other communities’ decisions.”

Multiple residents pointed out that the reason they decided to explore withdrawal was that the district had said that Kingfield’s school might be closed at some point in the near future.

“If our school is selected for that to happen,” resident Stacy McCluskey said during public comments, “we need to be prepared.”

With the proposed budget, the community would save around $500,000 to run a school, but the committee reiterated that the new district would decide the budget, if it is created.

In the draft budget, classes are consolidated, with grades one and two, three and four, five and six, and seven and eight combined in one classroom. Some were unsure whether that was the right move, while committee members and some residents said it had been done in the past, and students responded well to the change.

Kathy Houston, chair of the Kingfield School Options Committee, said that in the proposed plan, taxes would not change for residents.

“Our proposal is a draft and indicates that it would be possible to run Kingfield school without any additional taxes and perhaps even at a (significant ) savings,” Houston said. “Think of it as a feasibility study — it is feasible!  But, there is information we still don’t have: how many, if any UT (unincorporated territory) students, how many New Portland students or how much federal funding will we receive.”

Some residents expressed concern about focusing solely on the community of Kingfield when discussing the move. Callie Brown, of Kingfield, said while there are parts of drafted plan that she likes, she is worried about students from neighboring communities who might be left behind as a result of leaving the district.

“I will be sad if Kingfield pulls out, because I don’t think it’s in the benefit of our whole community we have,” Brown said. “Lots of residents from Strong and Phillips attend here, and I think that our pull-out will also affect them.”

The district also includes Avon.

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