North Country and Orleans Central begin merger talks

by Joseph Gresser

NEWPORT — Board members representing districts in the North Country and Orleans Central (OCSU) Supervisory Unions met here on October 8, to begin merger discussions mandated under Act 170.  While the law, passed in the last legislative session, does not require districts to combine, it does require serious “good faith” consideration of a merger plan.

Heather Boucher, former interim Secretary of Education during the time of the forced mergers under Act 26, was named by the state as the facilitator of the discussion.  In addition to representatives from all school districts,  OCSU Superintendent Jackie Ramsay-Tolman, and North Country Superintendent Elaine Brewster were at the meeting, but Ms. Boucher was quick to tell them their only status was as members of the public.

Peter Moskovites, a former member of the Charleston School Board, was also present as a member of the public.  A few others attended online.

The group was quick to adopt Roberts Rules of Order for small organizations as the governing document for the process, but committee members decided to put off electing one of their own ….

 

 

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