WEST PARIS – SAD 17 Superintendent of Schools Mark Eastman has assured selectman that he and the school board will continue to fight to keep the local elementary schools in place.
In a letter, he said the board and all eight district towns are opposed to closing the Agnes Gray and Legion Memorial schools and moving students from the town to the new school being built in South Paris.
“I have made it clear that as long as I am superintendent I will not support consolidation of our community elementary schools,” he wrote. “In addition, I am pleased to report that the board of directors has included this position in its policies. This will require that the board will continue to support this approach in the future.”
The issue arose two years ago when the state Department of Education announced it favored closing the two West Paris schools. At that time, the department didn’t want to put any money into upgrading the schools, due mainly to their age. However, locally, people reminded the state that, when the town joined SAD 17, it was assured that each district town would continue to have its own elementary schools.
The selectmen were pleased with the announcement from Eastman and pledged that they also will fight hard to assure that the town keeps its schools.
It was announced that SAD 17 officials will attend the May 26 selectmen’s meeting to discuss the issue further and to detail the upcoming budget proposal, which will be voted on at referendum in June.
Selectman Wayne Theofrastou said, “I hope people will attend the meeting to hear what the school officials have to say because it is their money that will be discussed.”
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the meeting room at the town office on Kingsbury Street.
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