The SAD 35 School Board will be discussing a proposed policy that will allow parents from other towns to tuition their children into SAD 35 schools. The information was published in the last SAD 35 newsletter, but the School Board has not had much feedback from the community. The School Board will be discussing the proposed policy at the March 19th and April 2nd meeting. They allow public input on all agenda items.
The policy, described as a measure to increase revenues and maintain programs and services, would allow a student from another community to attend a SAD 35 school following a formal request for admission, approval by the Superintendent, and the payment of tuition at the state-approved rate plus the cost of any special education or other extraordinary services provided to the student. Parents would be responsible for transportation. The policy also includes a clause that retroactive tuition will be assessed for students found to be nonresidents and ineligible for enrollment under law or board policy.
I went to the school board meeting last night in which they did the first read of the Admission of Non-resident Tuition Students to our district. Tonight the vote was 4-2 in favor of allowing tuition students into our district.
Susan Pular voted for
Ellen Breed voted for
Helene Cass voted against
William Gilbert voted for
Martha Leathe voted against
Ralph Stevens voted for
I personally am against allowing outside students into our district as this would be a change which could have significant consequences for our children. Classes sizes could be larger, academic classes that our children may want at the high school level could be filled with tuition students, as wells as sports teams, plays and clubs. They would have equal rights to everything!
If other outside students want to go to our schools they should have to share in the same taxes the rest of us have to pay and move to our communities. A tuition student will pay under $9,000 per student at the high school level.
I realize that our tax rates will be increasing and some are looking at this as creative financing to offset taxes, but this would be a permanent change and I’m not certain that the small amount of revenue that we would generate would offset the negative.
In two weeks they will do the final vote at the school board meeting. If you feel strongly one way or another please contact the school board members above and voice your opinion