The Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Long Range Planning subcommittee met for the first time Sept. 26 to discuss collaborative opportunities in the region. According to AOS 98, the subcommittee is exploring questions of expanded educational opportunities and efficient use of resources for all students. The district said the meeting was to clarify which communities would like to be involved, determine how best to engage with regional communities, and begin identifying both existing and desired connections.

“Tonight, we need to find out what the local communities are looking for; how we can all work better together in a time when education costs keep skyrocketing,” said co-chair Kelly James, also the AOS 98 school board chair. “It makes sense for all of us to have these conversations now and do whatever we can to better serve our students.”

Representatives from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Georgetown, Southport and Wiscasset were present. The group included members of selectboards and school boards, Boothbay’s town manager, and superintendents from AOS 98 and Wiscasset.

Although the potential for regionalization around the Boothbay area has been a topic of much discussion, members of the committee said it was not the purpose of the group to tackle that issue – at least not yet.

“It is my belief that we are not there yet, but we are working toward the opportunity to have that conversation,” said co-chair Heather Sinclair, also an Edgecomb School Committee member. “The purpose tonight is not to dive into that conversation, but to look at a broader conversation about what's working in the region and what cross work is happening and what connections could be made.”

The group discussed a strategy of assessing what is within the control of the districts and schools, as well as what role the state may play and if there were any resources they could provide to aid the process. The group also discussed assessing how well institutions are currently linked and what resources are being shared. “We can't know how far to go unless we know where we are,” said Edgecomb School Committee member Nichole Price.

Representatives from Wiscasset and Georgetown were interested in finding ways to work with neighboring schools, but expressed hesitancy. James said they are an outlier in the conversation and are mostly part of AOS 98 for cost sharing. Alaine Pinkham, the Georgetown school board chair, said Georgetown will not likely be part of the process simply because of geography.

Wiscasset school committee member Jason Putnam said his district has mixed feelings about joining another district after leaving RSU 12, and they are currently trying to build up their standalone program. Wiscasset Superintendent Kim Andersson said it would be too much to ask to bus kids over an hour away for school but Wiscasset is interested in hearing about collaborative opportunities around sports or other resources.

The group also discussed the role of technology to potentially overcome geographic difficulties. Several members discussed technology-based efforts to link educational programming without the need for students or teachers to travel between towns.

By the end of the meeting, key areas were identified for focused work. These included adult and alternative education, vocational programs and outreach, structural organization, the potential new Boothbay region high school, and the role of technology. James said the committee will break out into subcommittees to discuss the issues, towards a common goal of supporting the region’s schools. 

“It’s the heart of a community, any school is,” James said. “At no point are we looking to take away from any community, we are here to enhance it.”