FREEPORT

Boasting several contested races and a hotly debated referendum question on the withdrawal of Freeport from Regional

School Unit 5, voters flooded the Freeport High School polling booths to weigh in on local and state elections.

Freeport voters rejected withdrawal from RSU 5 by 76 votes, defeating Question 1 on the local ballot with 2,228 votes opposed to withdrawal, 2,152 votes in favor and 330 blanks.

Proponents of two citizen groups came head-to-head over the withdrawal debate, with the pro-RSU 5 group Better Together praising the programing offered in the RSU’s schools, defending class sizes in comparison to the state average, citing the benefits of a larger student body in terms of sports performance and socialization, and warning voters of the the risk of potential tax increases resulting from withdrawal.

Six of the seven-member Freeport Town Council stated at an Oct. 14 public hearing that they would be voting “Yes” on Question 1, favoring a withdrawal from RSU 5.

Councilor Kristina Egan was the only member of the council who said she would be casting a “No” vote. “I feel like it’s a bad deal for the taxpayers and a bad deal for our kids,” said Egan at the public hearing.

“One thing has become clear” over the course of the withdrawal process, said RSU 5 Board of Directors and Freeport Withdrawal Committee member Peter Murray in a written statement, “Freeport citizens on both sides of this debate care deeply about education and our town.”

“While the vote today settled the governance issue, the close margin between the sides points to the need for continued engagement,” said Murray. “… the RSU board has the opportunity to continue building on this engagement and ensure that RSU 5 moves ahead to create schools where teachers want to be and where all students can thrive.”

Citizen group Yes For Freeport, proponents of withdrawal, used posters depicting the results of school budget votes since the RSU’s unification that had passed in Freeport but were rejected in Durham and Pownal to urge a pro-withdrawal vote.

“I don’t think we should be restricted by conservative school budgets; that’s not what education is about” said Freeport resident Connor Carew, a Freeport High School graduate who paused after voting to take a selfie with his alma mater’s mascot.

“I remember kids from Durham and Pownal being ostracized because of how their towns voted when I was a student here,” said Carew. “I’d hate to think that is still happening.”

In November 2013, RSU 5 district voters passed a $14.6 million bond for a broadranging renovation and expansion project at Freeport High School, however a $1.7 million bond to rehabilitate the school’s track and fund a new turf field failed.

The issuance of the high school renovation bond was put on hold pending the final results of the withdrawal vote, however, those funds can now be released at the discretion of the RSU 5 board.

Town council at-large candidate William Rixon beat incumbent candidate Rich DeGrandpre in a tight race by 6 votes. Rixon had a total 2,076 votes cast in his favor, with DeGrandpre right behind him with 2,070 votes. There were also 17 write-ins and 547 blanks.

Town council incumbent Sarah Tracy ran uncontested for the District 2 seat and was re-elected with 976 votes. There were 11 write-ins for the seat and 281 blanks.

Incumbent Kristina Egan, vice chairperson of the Town Council ran uncontested for the District 3 seat and was reelected with 823 votes. There were 23 write-ins for the seat and 340 blanks.

Candidates Sally Leland and Gerald Kennedy were victorious in the three-way race for two seats on the Freeport Sewer District Board of Trustees. Leland garnered 2,360 votes while Kennedy received 1,705 votes. Candidate Michael Ashby’s bid for a seat was unsuccessful, but he came in a close second to Kennedy with 1,663 votes. There were 27 write-ins for the seats and 3,665 blanks.

Incumbent Tom Hudak ran uncontested for a seat on the Freeport Water District Board of Trustees, and was re-elected with 2,561 votes. There were 30 write-in candidates and 1,259 blanks.

In a four-way race between two incumbents and two newcomers for two seats on the RSU 5 Board of Directors, incumbent Beth Parker and newcomer Lindsay Sterling came out victorious with Parker garnering 1,901 votes and Sterling 2,010. Outgoing Board of Directors chairperson Nelson Larkins received 1,454 votes and board hopeful Charyl Haversat received 970 votes. There were also 40 write-ins for the two seats and 3,045 blanks.