Linda Seams buffs the floor at Sabattus Primary School in August 2022. There will be a public hearing Wednesday on whether to close the school. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal file
WALES — The Regional School Unit 4 School Board will host a public hearing Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the upcoming referendum on whether to close Sabattus Primary School.
The meeting will take place in the Oak Hill High School gymnasium and will be livestreamed on the RSU 4 YouTube channel. The informational meeting will offer members of the public the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the proposal.
There will be no vote at the public hearing. The referendum is scheduled for April 8 and is the result of more than two years of study and discussion on consolidation within the district. The RSU 4 School Board voted unanimously in January to close Sabattus Primary School, which was built in 1953.
According to the board, “this decision reflects careful consideration of enrollment trends, budget challenges, and the need for programming consolidation.”
Per state law, for the school to remain open, all three communities must vote to keep the school open. If one town sides with closure, the school will be closed.
The estimated cost to keep Sabattus Primary School open is more than $358,000 a year, with additional cost for deferred maintenance and repairs to the school estimated at more than $4 million.
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