At the start of another school year, Windham and Raymond students are likely facing the back-to-school dread that puts a damper on any end-of-summer parties or beach visits. It’s time to face facts, though – the first day is coming soon.

Along with first-day jitters, students are probably beginning to hear about another stressor affecting the school system as of late – the threat of Raymond’s withdrawal from the district. There is a sizeable group in Raymond, led by former Regional School Unit 14 School Committee member and current Raymond Selectwoman Teresa Sadak, to have Raymond revert to its own school district.

Sadak and others are concerned about the school board’s budding proposal to build a new middle school in Windham. Because the state doesn’t think the school is in need of replacement quite yet, at least when considering the state’s other school construction needs, the board is considering a referendum asking district voters whether they would foot the bill entirely on their own. With schools costing at least $40 million-$50 million these days, it would have a serious tax impact on local residents without state aid.

Because that proposal has caused Sadak to seek an RSU divorce – Sadak has collected enough signatures to put the question to a vote in Raymond, meaning this is a serious possibility – the school board is backing down this week about the proposal, saying it might consider a deal that would adjust cost-sharing within the district. Raymond has been paying 45 percent of the local costs of education – calculated after the state subsidy is factored. People in Raymond believe that should be lower, and they’re right.

According to recent census figures, Windham has about 17,000 residents and Raymond 4,450 year-round residents. Clearly, shouldering 45 percent of the local share of running the district is too much. Asking Raymond residents to share almost half the cost of building a middle school in Windham is onerous, as well.

Raymond has a lot of waterfront property, but that doesn’t mean all its homeowners are wealthy and can be pumped for all they’re worth. Many Raymond residents didn’t want to join RSU 14, and apparently many think they’re getting the short end of the stick.

However, all is not lost. Windham and Raymond make a good fit, and the school system, which wins many accolades, has seemed to thrive under the arrangement. The school board should drop any idea of building a school on local taxpayers’ backs. According to Sadak, who’s not afraid to speak on behalf of taxpayers’ interests, the board’s bold proposal to build without state aid is the last straw in her frustrations with how costs are shared between Raymond and Windham. We agree.

The school board, to its credit, has tried to work to make the district more efficient. In 2010, to much parental frustration in Raymond, the board proposed shutting down Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond and shifting students to Raymond Elementary School, both of which operate – still today – at half-capacity. That didn’t go over well with parents who enjoy the spacious facilities for their children. Two years later, the board tried to shift school populations – known as redistricting – with North Windham students attending school in Raymond. That didn’t go over well with Windham parents. The proposal to build a new school to handle capacity in Windham may make parents happy, but not those footing the bill.

The idea of building a middle school has a few fatal flaws. Most importantly, it’s simply not needed, since student population can be shifted within the district. Any voter knowing that there is plenty of available space in Raymond will quickly check “no” on the ballot. Secondly, the fact that the state isn’t willing to foot a chunk of the bill means local taxpayers will be hit extremely hard. Windham taxpayers have shown they are wary of large projects, convincingly defeating a costly sewer project in 2012. We believe they will likely shoot down any school project that is proposed as a convenient way to avoid the harder challenge of properly balancing the populations within the district.

To solve the problem, the board should withdraw any attempt to build a new middle school, at least until the state supports it. Next, the board should truly lead and require the district’s residents to act as a cohesive unit. It is silly that Raymond schools are at half-capacity while Windham schools are crowded. Shift the populations so the buildings are used efficiently. Parents who like to drop their kids off on their way to work in Portland will complain, but that’s better than foisting a massive building project on the backs of hardworking district taxpayers who are now threatening withdrawal citing a burdensome proposal that will likely be defeated at the polls anyway.

–John Balentine, managing editor