WISCASSET
The window of opportunity for the town to leave Regional School Unit 12 by the 2013-14 school year continues to diminish.
In order to withdraw, residents must be able to vote on the matter by June, at the latest. But after postponement of Thursday night’s scheduled meeting between the town’s withdrawal committee and an ad-hoc committee representing RSU 12, that scenario is even less likely — at least two weeks less likely.
The RSU and the town have been locked in a struggle over the timing of any withdrawal, and the Wiscasset committee has made clear it feels RSU 12 has been delaying talks on the matter.
On Thursday, the RSU 12 committee chairwoman advised the Wiscasset com- mittee by email that it did not have the material necessary to conduct the scheduled meeting at the Wiscasset Town Office. Committee Chairwoman Malinda Caron suggested the two committees should meet next during the week of Feb. 18, according to RSU withdrawal committee member Jefferson Slack.
All along, the Wiscasset group has accused RSU 12 of delay tactics so that a vote cannot happen until November. That would mean withdrawal couldn’t happen until 2014-15.
“It’s definitely more of the same,” Slack said by telephone.
“It’s really frustrating.”
The two committees last met Jan. 21, when RSU 12 offered its counter-proposal to Wiscasset’s plan. Lawyers from both sides discussed points of contention.
RSU 12 was to produce addendums and exhibits to be discussed Thursday night, but RSU 12 was not prepared to do so, Slack said.
A June vote, Slack conceded, is looking “iffy.”
“If we could meet the week of Feb. 18,” Slack said, “there’s not a lot to negotiate. We may be still able to do it if the Department of Education can turn it over quickly enough.”
lgrard@timesrecord.com
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