Many UT families denied waivers, told they can appeal no further

Seven out of 12 families in Trescott, Cathance and Marion who appealed the Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) decision to move their children from their elementary schools of choice to the EUT school in Edmunds have had their requests denied. EUT Director Shelley Lane reports that the appeals of five families were approved and notes that some families have more than one child affected by the decision.
As for taking the appeal process any further, Lane says, "They're done." Families who do not live in the unorganized territories (UT) can follow the appeal process all the way to the Maine Board of Education. While UT families can appeal the EUT director's decision with the commissioner of education, Lane notes that Deputy Commissioner of Education William Beardsley reviewed and co‑signed the letters with her.
AOS 96 Superintendent Scott Porter pointed out the difference in the legal process of an appeal at a meeting with the deputy commissioner held in Whiting on May 6. "Part of the problem is that UT students don't have equal rights under the law." He explained, "Students in the UT do not have the right to step up to the state board of education, whereas students in the organized areas do." Beardsley responded that he would "fully support" a legislative decision that would allow UT students to appeal to the board of education but that he was "trying to do my best under the law." The reason for the decision to shift students to the UT school was put down to cost savings related to transportation.
However, not all families dealing with the sudden and unexpected EUT decision to move their children around are sure that Beardsley will follow through with his support. Beardsley emphasized at the Whiting meeting that, if he received a letter from any parent stating reasons why the present placement in one of the town schools was in the "best interest of the child," he would grant a waiver and allow the current placement to remain. With seven out of 12 appeals denied, the feeling at a May 18 Edmunds Consolidated School meet-and-greet open house was that Beardsley had backtracked. The parents of UT students at the open house pointed out to each other that there was no mention in the letters they had received from Lane of any specific reason for denial of their appeal.
Lane says, "Similar to the superintendent agreements, I evaluated each letter based on the compelling reasons for the individual request. I met personally with families who attended the Edmunds meet and greet on May 18. I have not heard from all families with students that will be affected by the changes. A few families have made contact directly with the Edmunds school to schedule a visit."
At the Whiting meeting Beardsley had responded positively that he would take under consideration a suggestion from Rep. Joyce Maker of Calais that a delay in the process by a school year would allow for more research about transportation costs, town budget concerns with affected elementary schools and a better transition period for families concerned about the needs of their children and reworking their work schedules given new bus pick‑up times. At the May 18 meet and greet, Lane was asked if there would be any consideration given to delaying the move for another year. Lane replied, "I don't know," but she later said that she and Beardsley "were both aware of each decision." When asked if the move could be put off for four or five years to allow for those students already well into their education at one of the schools in Whiting, East Machias, Lubec or Machias, she said, "There was some conversation about it, but it didn't seem to make sense." She added that it would mean "sending some, and having some here [Edmunds]."
In response to Maker's suggestion, Deputy Commissioner Beardsley now says, "We have listened long and hard and thoroughly. Rather than delay, we will look at each transfer request individually and make a decision in the best interest of the student." His decision means that families will need to appeal where their child goes to school on an annual basis.

Budgets and per pupil costs
Transportation costs figured prominently in Lane's decision to move children to the UT school. The total statewide UT budget of just over $12 million covers three elementary schools with about 915 "out of district" students, meaning that they do not attend EUT schools. Of those, 268 are elementary age and the remaining 647 are in high school. There are an additional 113 elementary students who do attend EUT schools. Total UT costs associated with buses ran to just over $100,000, and combined transportation and tuition costs at just over $5.4 million.
Lane explains that of the approximately 1,000 students in the entire UT, "most are tuition students. That's where the majority of the funds go." The UT has no high schools and has three elementary schools: the Edmunds Consolidated School with 55 students currently enrolled; the Connor Consolidated School in Aroostook County with 26 students; and the Kingman Elementary School in Penobscot County with 32 students.
The EUT administrative office of four staff costs about $325,000 per year to run. Both budgets have decreased slightly over a five-year period. In 2015 the total budget for Edmunds Consolidated School was just under $1 million with 55 students, five classroom teachers, plus ed techs and Title I support. Costs in the 2015 budget associated with busing were for fuel at $5,500, bus maintenance and repairs at $11,150 and driver physical at $500. The EUT budget does not break down specific UT line items in the kind of detail that can be found in municipal school budgets. Lane says of the UT budget, "You cannot make an apple-to-apple comparison because UT does not build a budget in the same manner as an RSU/AOS would. The EUT budget is only actual expenses."
Superintendent Porter, who has three elementary schools in his district affected by the EUT changes, questions the per pupil cost of the Edmunds Consolidated School. While Lane estimates that the per pupil cost is about $7,000, Porter says that when one takes the total Edmunds school budget of $990,238, backs out the $80,000 in tuition the school is receiving for 10 Dennysville students, the remaining 45 UT students cost about $20,000 each. This figure may or may not include capital expenditures for buses or even bus driver salary and benefits or a portion of the EUT administrative budget, he comments, because the budget numbers are so simplified.
Lane says, "We don't have a need to break it [budget numbers] down by territory." She explains that "where there are so many" students attending different schools and using different transportation routes "there's no financial benefit" of doing so.
Porter says, "We have to be transparent with our budgets." He points to the very specific line‑item format that any municipal official and resident is aware of if they follow the annual budget process. He suggests that if legislators do work on policy changes to clarify UT educational practices, they may well run into trouble with the lack of information available on specific EUT budget line items. "I think when people begin to investigate they will find the per pupil cost to be extraordinarily high."

Frustration felt by school officials and parents
Frustration about the EUT directive that students in the unorganized territories are to attend the Edmunds school is being felt on a number of levels. In tuition revenue, Whiting stands to lose $72,000, East Machias $65,000, Lubec $70,000 and Machias $24,000. But not only have superintendents and town officials had to delay town budget decisions until they had a better idea of the changes afoot, many parents are struggling with upset children and concerns about new busing schedules affecting their employment.
At the May 18 meet-and-greet event, Lane met with parents on an individual basis behind closed doors. UT parent Mike Matthews returned to the hallway after meeting with Lane and expressed frustration, "It's a done deal; they won't listen to us."
Channon Jones of Trescott, who received a denial from the EUT, said, "[They] tell me two months" before school is out, which she felt was too little time for the family to prepare for such a change. Another parent said that many of the families affected are working "mostly in Machias" and stated that it is too far away to quickly get to the Edmunds school for his young child in case of sickness or an emergency. This parent currently has a child attending the Elm Street School in East Machias, and he would have to travel the longer distance to Edmunds of approximately 25 miles, he added, if the plan goes through.
Stella Morey, a Trescott grandmother of three, shook her head and said, "This is not in the best interest of kids." One parent said that either he or his wife would have to give up their jobs because of their inability to change work schedules.
For more information about the budgets, attendance numbers and per pupil costs of all the state's public schools, visit <www.maine.gov/education/data/tuitionrates/tuitrate.htm>.