FREPORT – Nelson Larkins of Freeport, board chairman until he lost his bid for re-election on Nov. 4, will be back at the table when the Regional School Unit 5 Board of Directors meets on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Freeport High School.

By unanimous vote on Dec. 2, the Freeport Town Council approved Larkins – the only candidate – to replace Peter Murray as a Freeport representative on the school board until next November. At that time, the remaining year in that seat will be back up for a vote.

Murray was chairman of the Freeport Withdrawal Committee. He announced a week following the Nov. 4 vote not to withdraw that he would resign, explaining that it would be difficult to work with school board members from Durham and Pownal, against whom he had negotiated withdrawal. The town requested that residents interested in taking Murray’s place on the school board step forward, and Larkins – an original board member – answered the call.

Larkins’ strange trip is not quite over. When the school board begins its meeting, it will decide whether to replace Larkins – with Larkins. He had no comment on the possibility of taking over again as chairman, but some people are hoping that will be the case, including Town Councilor Sarah Tracy.

“I hope that you will put yourself out to be in the chair position for RSU 5,” Tracy said at the Dec. 2 council meeting.

Larkins lost to Lindsay Sterling and Beth Parker.

Though RSU 5 is intact, the school board has work to do with some Freeport residents, who defeated withdrawal by only 76 votes. Only once in the history of RSU 5 has either Durham or Pownal voted to pass an RSU budget – it was Durham – and some Freeport residents are wary.

Councilor Jim Hendricks mentioned a “50-50 disconnect” among Freeport voters to Larkins during the Dec. 2 meeting. Though RSU 5 arranged meetings between municipal officials from each town and its own officials last year, Hendricks told Larkins that a better connection is needed among RSU 5 leaders and town officials during budget deliberations.

“Last year, we made a pitch for town officials to attend meetings,” Larkins said. “It just didn’t work.”

Larkins said that the concept of a leadership council consisting of RSU 5 and town leaders will be revisited, “to get everyone involved in the budget process.” Larkins also said that he sees the withdrawal vote more as a chance to unite.

“I see it more as an opportunity, not a negative,” Larkins said as he stood at the podium, fielding questions from the council. “It’s not easy. It’s not automatic. That being said, there’s an opportunity there.”

Larkins told the Tri-Town Weekly later that priorities include finding a new superintendent and starting the $14.6 million Freeport High School renovation project. The board is working with consultant Ron Barker to find a permanent replacement for William Michaud and Mike Lafortune, who are interim co-superintendents for this year. And directors on Dec. 10 will appoint a 21-member Building Committee to begin work on the high school project, which will include a large addition.

“We should be effectively educating our three communities about their schools, negotiating new personnel contracts, creating a process for the leadership of RSU 5 to communicate and work with Durham and Pownal selectmen and the Freeport Town Council, planning an appropriate 2015-16 school budget, and revisioning the high school,” Larkins said. “There is certainly a lot to be done, but it is all positive and will help RSU 5 become a better school district.”

Prior to their business meeting, RSU 5 directors will conduct a social gathering with Freeport residents and town officials, at 6 p.m. Then, everyone will be invited to participate in a focus group session with Barker, who will be conducting several such meetings between Dec.10-18. The stated purpose of the meetings is “to gain insight and feedback from various stakeholder groups regarding the most important attributes and qualifications they believe the next superintendent of schools in RSU 5 should possess.”

These sessions will be informal, lasting about 45 minutes. Attendees will be asked to share their views regarding RSU 5 and to complete an attributes/qualification form for a new superintendent. Following the focus group sessions, a brief summary report will be developed and shared with the school board, the Search Committee and other interested parties.

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A CLOSER LOOK

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Focus group meetings about the RSU 5 communities’ views on a new school superintendent, led by consultant Ron Park, will be held at various locations:

Thursday, Dec. 11, 3:30 p.m., with Durham Community School staff;

Monday, Dec. 15, 3:15 p.m., with Pownal Elementary School staff; Tuesday, Dec. 16, 11:05 a.m., with Freeport High School Student Council;

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2 p.m., with Morse Street School administrators; Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m., with parents and community members, Freeport High School;

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2:30 p.m., Freeport Middle School and Freeport High School staff, Freeport High School;

Thursday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m., Morse Street School and Mast Landing School staff, Morse Street School.

Nelson Larkins