The SAD 44 Committee and the Newry’s Withdrawal Committee recently agree to attempt mediation in an effort to a withdrawal agreement for residents of the town to consider. Mediation was proposed by the Newry Committee and SAD 44 agreed because committee members believed the process to be the next best tool for resolving the dispute.

Efforts to resolve the dispute began in January 2015 in an effort to determine how Newry’s two dozen students would be educated and what financial arrangement would govern the town leaving the district.

Newry officials now claim SAD 44 is stalling and not negotiating in good faith. The town believes the counterproposals offered by the school district are intended to keep Newry paying the same $3 million it does now. SAD 44 officials claim they are negotiating in the “best faith, with the interests of all the students and taxpayers… We are not trying to stall, we are not trying to run them out of money.”

The Newry committee proposed a gradual reduction of its share of the school budget over the course of a decade after withdrawal, in an effort to lessen the immediate impact on the three other towns in the district. SAD 44 officials point out the impact will be there immediately and in 10 years, and will likely result in massive budget cuts, regardless of how slow contributions are phased out.

The committees are still far from a solution and are just now discussing possible options for mediators to oversee the proceedings.