Withdrawal committee approves creating Facebook page, plans targeted outreach

The withdrawal committee voted to create a moderated Facebook page to post meeting times, documents and basic FAQs as part of a broader outreach push around a potential withdrawal from RSU 10. Committee members said the page would be run by a single, designated poster and that comments would be off or tightly moderated to limit conflict.

Committee member S1 proposed the page and explicitly moved that "Aaron's going to create a Facebook page"; S2 seconded the motion and members discussed content and approval processes. The committee agreed the page should list upcoming meetings and links to the survey and that any substantive announcements (for example, the educational consultant and lawyer attending a meeting) would be cleared with the committee.

Why it matters: Committee members said low attendance at earlier ad hoc meetings and uneven internet access among residents undermined outreach. They proposed multiple channels — a Facebook page, a short county-courier ad and paper copies of FAQs and surveys at town offices and schools — to reach a broader audience.

Details and next steps: S2 estimated a postcard mailer would cost about $660, with postage roughly 34.7¢ per piece; members debated frequency and agreed not to start broad mailings until they have more substantive information to share. S2 volunteered to obtain exact pricing for newspaper ads and postcards and report back at the next meeting. The committee also decided to post basic information about meeting dates and how to access the survey, while reserving approval of more substantive content for committee review.

The committee set April 2 as its next meeting and said it will prepare a draft communications plan and sample posts for review; members also discussed running public forums in Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner when more information is available.