Rome selectmen schedule May 12 public hearing after dispute over RSU #18 newsletter page

The Town of Rome Board of Selectmen on April 6 tabled a plan to publish a newsletter page explaining the RSU #18 school budget and set a public hearing for May 12 at 6:00 p.m. to allow further public comment and review. 1st Selectman Kelly Archer presided over the meeting.

Joan Orr presented a draft page she said would inform residents about the school budget breakdown. Dr. Andy Cook opposed publication, saying the information as prepared was incomplete and asking the board for the opportunity to submit a rebuttal. Cook urged residents to attend School Board meetings to receive complete details and said he would recommend a cautionary committee to the School Board to address the budget questions.

The Selectmen did not vote to publish the page; rather, they agreed to table any decision until after the April 15 School Board meeting and to hold a Select Board public hearing on May 12 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the matter further. The board’s action was procedural: the transcript records that the decision to publish was tabled and a hearing scheduled, but it does not record a formal motion to publish or to reject publication.

The issue matters to residents because the newsletter is a town communication channel that can shape public understanding before the School Board’s own review. The board’s scheduling of a hearing gives residents a formal opportunity to comment before the Selectmen make any publication decision.

The Select Board will revisit the newsletter item after the April 15 School Board meeting; the public hearing is set for May 12 at 6:00 p.m.