By Larry Grard

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Peter Murray, the newly elected chairman of the RSU Withdrawal Committee, made meeting schedules his first priority last Wednesday at the first meeting of the group that will negotiate Freeport’s possible withdrawal from Regional School Unit 5 with RSU board members from Durham and Pownal.

The members of the RSU Withdrawal Committee must schedule meetings among themselves and with the RSU Working Group, as well as schedule public forums.

Murray and Dennis King, the at-large member of the committee, pored over personal schedules on their iPads and laptops, managing to identify some free time. They were able to schedule a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Town Hall. They identified the ensuing Thursday night, Feb. 13, probably at Freeport High School, as the next in a succession of Withdrawal Committee meetings.

That left the meetings with the RSU Working Group to schedule. Murray hesitated to suggest Feb. 27 as the first meeting date.

“It’s a long time to wait, but we should all be in the same room,” Murray said.

As it turns out, Murray wasn’t waiting too long at all. Michelle Ritcheson, representing the RSU Working Group from Durham, said Friday that her panel can’t meet with the Withdrawal Committtee until March 5, at a time and location to be announced.

The Withdrawal Committee and the Working Group will negotiate throughout the year on the withdrawal process, which Freeport residents voted for on Dec. 17. The state Department of Education must approve any agreement. If and once that happens, Freeport voters would cast a second and final vote – in November if all goes as planned – on leaving the RSU.

At the outset of last week’s meeting, Murray said his goal is for members to get to know each other, the scope of work and the members of the Working Group, which comprises board members from Durham and Pownal.

“We have one primary goal,” he said, “and that is to come up with a withdrawal agreement.”

Committee member Rich DeGrandpre said that all kids in the school system must be afforded continuity. If Freeport does vote in November to leave RSU 5, students in Durham and Pownal will be lookintg for a high school, and in Pownal’s case, a middle school.

King suggested learning what strategies have or have not been successful in other RSUs.

The Withdrawal Committee also wants legal counsel on board soon. Murray pointed out that Drummond & Woodsum, with Dick Spencer, has represented the RSU in the past, so a law firm “from the other side” might do. He suggested Bernstein Shur, and said the topic should be on the next agenda, which would be Feb. 6.

Murray suggested creating a website, and exchanging emails within the Withdrawal Committee. As long as the emails are not part of the decision-making process, he said, the email exchanges should be acceptable to the public.

“We should be comfortable exchanging emails while not making the public uncomfortable,” he said.

“It’s OK so long as it’s not a decision-making process,” DeGrandpre added.

At the Feb. 6 public meeting, the committee will read the 22 statutory steps necessary for a community to leave a school district.

A CLOSER LOOK

Upcoming public meetings scheduled regarding Freeport’s possible withdrawal from Regional School Unit 5 include:

Thursday, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., RSU Withdrawal Committee public hearing, Freeport Town Hall.

Thursday, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., RSU Withdrawal Committee meeting, Freeport High School.

Wednesday, March 5, time and location TBA, joint RSU Withdrawal Committee and RSU Working Group.

Rich DeGrandpre, left, and Kate Werner exchange ideas prior to the start of the first RSU Withdrawal Committee meeting, held Jan. 29.