Harrison drew a line in the sand when it learned its elementary school could potentially close and its students consolidated with 400 or more children from Norway, Waterford and Maine School Administrative District 17’s five other towns.

With a 386-261 vote, the town has decided “to form a Withdrawal Committee to explore the option of withdrawal along with other possible options for our students, our school, and our town. At any time during the process, our citizens can decide that it is in the best interest of our students and our town to remain in MSAD 17. The real work begins now and will result in a referendum for our citizens to vote on in regards to withdrawing from MSAD 17,” according to Deb Kane, Harrison Education and Options Committee secretary and select board member.

This could close the door on the educational grouping Harrison has been part of for more than 40 years.

A question on Harrison’s June 9 election ballot asked voters if they favored filing a petition with the Maine Department of Education, authorizing town officials to spend up to $50,000 and produce a withdrawal plan that complies with the administrative and legal process to leave SAD 17.

With 60% voting in favor of separation, it will pursue an unknown path: maintain school district independence or join Windham, a single-town district.

If Harrison goes the independent route, middle and high school students would become tuition students of SAD 17, Windham or SAD 61 based in Bridgton. Younger students would stay at Harrison Elementary School.

One resident who revealed she had voted Tuesday to withdraw said her decision stemmed in part from her child’s experience going from Harrison Elementary to Oxford Hills Middle School in Paris, which serves more than 500 students.

“He had to get on the bus at 6:05 in the morning, to get over to the middle school,” she said. “It was an hourlong ride. He’d sleep the whole way (there), he’d sleep the whole way home. He got written up for it and I had to get involved with the principal, bus driver and transportation department.

At the age of 10, those experiences changed him profoundly, she said. “It was terrible.”

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