Please join me and vote no to Freeport withdrawing from RSU 5. This is a big gamble for Freeport. The Withdrawal Committee found a savings of a mere $288,000, best rosy case, meaning every Durham and Pownal student stays in Freeport, and we all know that will not happen. When they go elsewhere, our taxes go up and our schools diminish.

The biggest problem with withdrawal is it is full of ifs and no guarantees. If they come we will be OK, if they don’t we pay more. If a new high school bond is passed, then we get a pared-down version of the renovation proposed and approved now for the RSU at the same price tag, not the best deal. Even the architect said it was not the best. This withdrawal group wants Freeport to be more like Yarmouth or Falmouth, as well as not losing the vast advances the RSU has achieved. How do they propose to get there, spend more of the Freeport taxpayers’ money? They feel that if we separated, the Freeport citizens can make up the school budget. They better look at the past. I remember standing in front of some of the same faces on the Town Council and begging for more money for the school, and I remember a councilor telling us about the silent majority that could not afford a night out at Applebee’s and voted to decrease and not increase the budget. If this goes through, that is the fight we will be back to. The RSU is guaranteed. We are guaranteed a new high school starting project date of Nov. 5 (do not forget who passed this bond, Pownal and Durham), students to fill all schools (no question they will come), taxes that will rise slower and more predictably.

We keep building a system that was on the way to being a great one until all this stalled it and began its push backward. Importantly, keeping the three towns together means keeping all the enhanced academic programming, gifted and talented, AP classes, math and literacy specialists, and more class choices for our students. We have pulled into the system almost all the special ed, saving us a small mint for the past since we used to contract those services out. We maintain the control we need, majority of the votes and majority of seats on the board. We the people will still get to meet and adjust the budget as we see fit and not leave that up to the Town Council to make those important decisions for our children. We continue to grow community in our schools or if we separate, all of this is in jeopardy. We will lose budget control to Town Council, and our new high school, student population, and programs. Don’t roll the dice.

Chris Parker

Freeport