Proposal had failed to pass all the necessary towns to move forward.
just now
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Open Table MDI.
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION—In a November 4 statement to the community members of the Mount Desert Island Regional School System (AOS 91), Superintendent Michael Zboray said he was thankful for the members of the Reorganization Planning Committee who’d worked to create and support the plan to reorganize the area’s school system.
The proposal to consolidate schools in the Mount Desert Island region failed, November 3, when the voters of Tremont voted against it.
If just one of the five larger towns’ voters involved—Bar Harbor (1,231-1,825), Mount Desert (542-672), Southwest Harbor (475-540), Tremont (361-525), Trenton (525-318)—did not approve the proposal, it would not pass.
That’s exactly what happened Tuesday when voters in Tremont, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, and Southwest Harbor voted against it. A clerical error prevented it from being on the ballot in Swans Island. Cranberry Isles voted (23-97) against the proposal.
It was supported in Trenton (525-318) and Frenchboro (12-10).
“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the past and present members of the Reorganization Planning Committee (RPC),” Zboray wrote in the statement that he also forwarded to the Bar Harbor Story, Chris Popper of WDEA, and the Mount Desert Islander. “Throughout this complex process over the past two years, each member came to the table with an open mind, tireless dedication, and an unwavering commitment to keeping our students as their north star. The time, energy, and care they invested on behalf of our schools and towns represent public service at its finest.”
The group had not only created the plan, but presented it—or participated in—multiple public forums throughout the region, as had Zboray.
The plan to reorganize how the island area’s schools are administered was developed through a multi-year process by the School Reorganization Committee, which is comprised of school board members and other representatives from island area towns.
The vote on the plan had been postponed twice as the plan was tweaked and changed and explained to voters and officials in public meetings.
The state-approved plan would take each individual school district in each town, dissolve it, and unify them into one single regional school unit called an RSU.
The plan would have created a unified governing structure, was meant to allow more movement of staff between schools, less redundancies, and more equity of student services. It also shared debt and reserves from each town to the system as a whole, transferred town buildings and land away from individual towns to the school district, and changed the budget process each town takes for its school budgets.
“While the outcome of the vote demonstrates that this specific proposal is not the path forward our communities chose, the results underscore an important reality: the conversation about our shared educational future must continue,” Zboray wrote. “The challenge before us remains how to design an educational system that is nimble, efficient, and resilient enough to meet the challenges we face head-on. Our core goal has never wavered: ensuring that every student across our coastal island communities receives the high-quality education and support needed to thrive in high school and beyond, while ensuring that similarly situated taxpayers are treated fairly and equitably in sharing the cost of education.”
Proponents of the plan said that it would help put all students from all towns on a more even playing field before heading to the unified high school and cut administrative redundancies. Opponents worried that it would decrease local control, particularly around budgets and management. Others worried about the amount of seats each town would have on the governing board and how voting would work to elect representatives to those seats. Some were against the plan because they felt it did not go far enough and did not include a combined middle school in this iteration.
“Before the RPC concludes its work and officially disbands, the committee will prepare a final report. This document will detail the insights gained throughout this multi-year process—capturing what went well, what could have been communicated better, and what key questions remain. We hope this record will serve as a valuable foundation and roadmap for our town select boards, school boards, and community members as future discussions take shape,” Zboray wrote.
He concluded by thanking everyone who attended meetings, asked thoughtful questions, and participated in this vote.
“Engaging in these important conversations is vital to the health of our towns, and your continued voice and involvement will be essential as we work together to support our students and our schools,” he wrote.
All photos: BHS file photos.
LINK TO LEARN MORE
Mount Desert Island Region Election Results
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School Reorganization Proposal Fails.
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Nov 3
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