MADISON — A public hearing on Wednesday was intended for people living in communities of the school district from which Starks is seeking to secede. But few people showed up.

About 10 people, many of them from Starks, attended the 30-minute meeting at the School Administrative District 59 office. It was the final opportunity for residents of Madison, Athens and Brighton Plantation to officially offer their concerns and suggestions about Starks leaving the district.

Starks has been working for more than a year to withdraw and is likely to join Farmington-based Mt. Blue Regional School District. Starks residents have expressed interest in joining a district with what they say are greater educational options. Also, the town estimates it can save about $90,000 a year by switching to Mt. Blue.

If Starks successfully withdraws, SAD 59 anticipates it will lose $300,000 to $400,000, which could translate into cut positions.

That loss would be greater, however, if the district had not agreed to a provision in a negotiated withdrawal agreement that allows Starks students to choose to remain in Madison. It is anticipated that about 20 of the approximately 70 students from Starks will do so.

The year after the withdrawal, however, any Starks student entering kindergarten would go to Farmington.

On Wednesday, Madison Town Manager Dana Berry questioned some provisions of the agreement. The district would not be receiving as much money per Starks student as it would per Madison student. The difference is about $3,000 per student at the high school level and $1,000 per student at the elementary school level.

“If we lost those kids, period, we would have no income coming in at all,” said Superintendent Todd LeRoy. “We had to weigh the benefits.”

Berry also asked, “Why is (SAD) 59 providing transportation to and from Starks when it is Starks’ desire to withdraw from the district?”

Madison officials have agreed to pick up the approximately 20 students at the Starks Community Center and take them to school. The Madison bus would also pick up students who live on the community center route but not make additional stops in Starks.

LeRoy said the district will be receiving state money to pay for the transportation. Also, “It makes it more attractive to continue to attend our school district.”

“It seems this agreement is all one-sided,” Berry said.

LeRoy replied, “We did what we felt was in the best interest of the students.”

Starks Selectman Paul Frederic thanked LeRoy and Board Chairman Troy Emery, of Madison, near the end of the meeting.

“This has been a very difficult process for the citizens of Starks. Not everyone has been in full agreement with the concept of removing the town from this district and the possibility of joining the adjacent district,” he said.

He continued, “It is a challenging time for a little town to be dealing with where we are economically and some degree to where we are socially. We’re looking for the maximum return on our education investment. We think this is one way of pursuing that objective as a community.”

LeRoy also thanked the members of the Starks withdrawal committee.

And he added lightheartedly, “I hope you lose at the ballot box,” to laughter from the Starks group.

The state education commissioner granted conditional approval on Nov. 8 for Starks to secede. But the public hearing had to be held before Commissioner Stephen Bowen can sign his final approval on the agreement that has been negotiated between Starks and the district over the last several months.

The agreement proposes that Starks leave Madison on June 30.

Upon approval by the education commissioner, Starks will hold a public hearing, anticipated for the end of December or beginning of January. Then, likely in mid-January, Starks residents will vote at the polls whether to secede. A two-thirds majority approval is required to withdraw.

A final approval is needed from voters in each Mt. Blue community and Starks.

Erin Rhoda — 612-2368

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