A Public Forum preceding a vote to Close Katahdin will be held tomorrow, November 9th at the ISLAND FALLS MUNICIPAL BUILDING 5:30 pm
“…Let’s make consolidation the absolute last resort. Instead, let’s recognize that merging districts with financial problems and falling enrollment will not make them better off financially and educationally. Let’s focus on what’s really important — the resources (financial and otherwise) that strong community and school leaders can leverage to improve…”
“…Consolidation robs communities of important assets: their children and their schools. 
Consolidation may seem efficient based on pupil-to-teacher ratios, costs per pupil, and the promise of improved curriculum and higher test scores. But it is hardly efficient, given the costs of transportation and the time children spend away from the school and their families.
School and community leaders who promote consolidation may think they have the well-being of children in mind, but their emphasis on per-unit cost treats students as if they are assembly-line products and not children with differing needs, personalities, and dreams….”
Read the article, in full…
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cent7
danimoodykaygmailcom
delaneyfitz
skier1996
Timbered Classrooms... 
The area has a local example of consolidation – in health care. There used to be a local health center in Patten serving local needs, now there’s the combined health centers from Millinocket to Ashland. Has your local health care improved? Is your access to health care any better?
Consolidating is a step that can’t easily be reversed. It will be even more difficult if there isn’t base agreement on what everyone is looking for. What do the kids think? I haven’t really heard how they feel about the consolidation idea.
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Kids WERE indeed asked how they felt on BOTH sides of the district.
The reason you haven’t heard about those assemblies is because the kids hated the idea – again on both sides.
It is the same reason people are told “you’re the only person I’ve heard from” when they write or call to voice their opinion; why people who attend meetings are told they are outvoted by the throngs of folk who agree with the Board who can’t come to meetings.
Consolidation is a failed policy. …but people will always pursue it because even though you never save money overall you change who gets it.
These people will do anything to be the ones who “get the money”.
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The kids want to stay at Katahdin! But the board never listens!!
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If the board actually listened to people they would know that People want Katahdin to stay open. Do not give us this BS about money. Our district wastes money, 60 grand to some company to evaluate bout buildings, really, what a waste!! Stop spending so much. Cut administration! Seriously, and stop paying for teachers to be out training. My kids hav subs more than their reg teachers. The board doesn’t give a rip about the Katahdin side, or they would not be willing to throw our kids under the bus. My kids will not be traveling to SACS, because it is too far!!
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They are wasting money on PURPOSE!
It is called “inflating the budget”. They waste money on asinine things, kids go without and you are SUPPOSED to willingly close your school in pursuit of more for your kids.
But people see the waste and call them out.
It is about money – those expensive architects found enough building deficiencies at SACS alone to fund Katahdin.
They want YOU to stop investing in your school your community and your kids to pay for that building.
They are full of BS
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They are never going to listen until you FORCE them to.
Other communities are aghast at the disdain this Board has for the people they serve.
It is not this way in other communities where Board members have a healthy respect; fear, even, of the taxpayers whose money they are wasting; whose children they are shortchanging.
They are not afraid of you and have even claimed there is “no opposition”.
Until they learn where the bear s*** in the buckwheat, they will waste your money and shortchange your kids EVEN AFTER they close Katahdin. They will have your checkbook and have big spending plans that don’t help kids at all.
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