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Cumberland asks MSAD 51 for statutorily defined review of 60‑year cost‑sharing formula
Summary
The Town Council approved a draft letter asking the MSAD 51 school board to initiate a neutral, facilitated review of the district's long‑standing cost‑sharing agreement; the council emphasized the request is a procedural call for review, not a preordained outcome.
The Cumberland Town Council reviewed and approved a revised draft letter on March 23 requesting that the MSAD 51 board invoke the statutory process to review the district's nearly 60‑year cost‑sharing agreement.
The letter, as edited by the council, asks the school board to convene municipal representatives and a neutral, state‑approved facilitator to examine the valuation‑based formula and alternatives such as per‑pupil or blended models. Council members emphasized the review should be impartial, that it should not change the current formula unilaterally, and that a structured review is part of the council's fiduciary duty to residents.
Council discussion noted demographic and enrollment shifts (members said Cumberland student counts have declined over the past two decades) and that legislative changes (notably LD 18/29) are still under revision and may not take immediate effect. The letter states clearly that it does not presuppose an outcome and that any change would be phased and governed by statute if adopted.
Councilors agreed to circulate the revised letter to all MSAD 51 board members so the entire board can consider initiating the review. The council asked staff to remove hedging words (for example, to avoid imprecise qualifiers) and to provide the final version to the school board with an explanation of process next steps.
