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Select Board discusses path for leaving regional school district as residents voice frustration with supervisory union
Summary
Board members and residents discussed legal steps, petition thresholds and possible nonbinding ballot questions to pursue exiting the West River Unified Education District; participants said many residents view the supervisory union as "top heavy" and some families are leaving or planning alternatives.
The Select Board devoted significant time to discussing whether and how Jamaica could pursue exiting the West River Unified Education District. Board members agreed to research statutory petition requirements, possible signature thresholds and the timing for a warning or ballot question.
Members and public commenters described the recent community meeting about the district as intense and said frustration centers on governance and administrative structure, not solely budgets. One board member summarized attendees’ view that the supervisory union was "top heavy with too much administration," and other speakers noted families are choosing other schools: "We have 87 kids in 6th through 8th grade... 22 of those 87 kids the parents are planning to send them to schools other than Leland and Gray."
Board members discussed mechanics for compelling the district to call town-by-town votes, the role of petitions and signature thresholds (members estimated percentages of the electorate and discussed collecting well in excess of a minimal threshold to demonstrate broader support). The chair said the board would draft language and consult counsel to determine exact statutory steps and whether a nonbinding ballot question in August or November would be useful as a public signal.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 931, topfinish SEG 1124.
