BATH

Regional School Unit 1 directors were able to do Monday what their cost-sharing committee couldn’t: identify an allocation for funding its schools in the next fiscal year.

By unanimous vote, the Board of Directors decided to switch to an allocation based on cost per student.

The Cost-Sharing Committee also voted 5-0 for that option, but not until the 2015-16 school year.

Under the formula, West Bath and Woolwich will see significant cost increases, Arrowsic and Phippsburg will see slight increases while Bath will enjoy a slight decrease in expenses, according to RSU 1 data.

Chairman Tim Harkins indicated he wanted a consensus vote for the next fiscal year. Despite disagreement during Monday night’s workshop, directors did just that in the ensuing meeting.

After the meeting, RSU 1 Superindent Patrick Manuel said the challenge now is to inform the five RSU 1 towns what the vote means.

The board has little time: It must conduct workshops in January and February with the hope of going to a referendum vote in March.

At Monday’s workshop, Harkins said cost per student was the fairest means of allocation. Currently, RSU 1 assesses its five towns based on equal thirds of enrollment, property value and community population.

“No community is unfairly burdened with cost per student,” Harkins said. “This is where everybody wants to be.”

Harkins quickly added that not everyone wants to be there this soon.

Committee members from West Bath and Woolwich spoke against changing the formula for 2014-15, as did some board members.

David Barber, who represents Bath and West Bath, questioned the practicality of making the change for the next budget cycle.

“It will be a hard sell on that short a timeline for cost per student,” Barber said. “It sounds very difficult to me.”

Outgoing director Chet Garrison, who also represents Bath and West Bath, agreed.

“I think one of the worst things that we can do is quickly vote on something, and then try to get it done,” Garrison said.

But RSU 1 board Vice Chairman Julie Rice said cost per student is the easiest formula to explain.

“I don’t feel we have to wait another year,” said Rice, an outgoing member who represents Bath and Phippsburg. “I think it’s a simple explanation.”

David Bourget, a West Bath selectman who served on the cost-sharing committee, advocated sticking with the current formula for another year, adding, “It’s a huge slice in our budget.”

Committee members Allison Hepler of Woolwich and David Hennessey of West Bath concurred.

“I feel like we need to move more slowly,” Hepler said.

But David Sinclair, a selectman and committee member from Bath, spoke for the eventual consensus.

“The committee was happy with the one unanimous vote, and three out of five support instantly moving to cost per student,” Sinclair said. “None of the oppositions centers on equity.”

Harkins had taken the board and the public through a thorough chart on an appropriation based on cost per pupil.

lgrard@timesrecord.com