RUMFORD – SAD 43 Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said Wednesday that he doubts the decision to discontinue the current use of Virginia Elementary School will be reversed, even though some residents didn’t get to vote on the issue Tuesday.
Most voters in Byron and Roxbury had no chance to weigh in on the issue because they didn’t get the straw poll ballot. Miscommunication was likely the culprit, Hodgkin said Wednesday.
Voters in the district’s four towns were asked their opinions, and the majority were in favor of ending the elementary education use of the school and sending the 110 pupils to Rumford or Mexico schools. The vote was 532-436.
Hodgkin said it was unfortunate voters in the two small towns didn’t have input, but because it was a nonbinding vote nothing further needs to be done.
He said the district’s law firm advised him Wednesday that if the vote had been binding the two towns would be required to have a revote.
The mix-up likely occurred because SAD 43 issued two ballots, one for the budget and one later for the straw poll.
The second batch of ballots was delivered to the Roxbury town office with the understanding that they would be picked up by or delivered to the Byron town office. Both town clerks said they didn’t realize they had them; they thought they were extra budget ballots.
The SAD 43 Board of Directors agreed to place the nonbinding question on the ballot after parents circulated a petition requesting that the school remain as an elementary school.
In January, the board voted to end its use as an elementary school and send the youngsters to the district’s other two elementary schools. Dwindling pupil population, the chance to save money, and the use of the building to educate special needs students who are usually educated out-of-district were the major factors in the decision.
The matter will be discussed at the June 20 board meeting, Hodgkin said. Board members had said that if the nonbinding vote had been heavily for retaining the current use of the school, then the board would take that into consideration and possibly act on it.
“There would have had to be an overwhelming show of support,” said Hodgkin, who added that the board will take action next Monday. He said he doubts it will reverse itself.
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