This Wednesday (Dec. 12) at a 5:30 p.m. meeting, the Doty School Board could be deciding its last substantive issue before it ceases to exist. The issue is whether to join a lawsuit challenging Act 46, the consolidation law that is forcing Worcester into a merger with other U-32 towns. The transition ordered recently by the state means that the Doty School Board will cease to exist June 30. The Doty School budget, and those of the other elementary schools in our supervisory union, plus the budget of U-32, will become one budget and will be finalized by a new, single, consolidated union board. This consolidated budget will not be debated and voted on at town meeting in March but at a special consolidated union district meeting (or by Australian balloting) sometime before July 1, when the new consolidated board begins full operation.

The Calais and Middlesex school boards have already decided to join the lawsuit to try to stop the consolidation. The Doty board has been following development of the litigation but has not made a decision about participation. About 25 towns around the state have so far signed on. Come to Wednesday's meeting if you'd like to hear more about the lawsuit and/or make your views known.

-- Allen Gilbert, Doty School Board member

Dec 31, 2024, 5 to 7:45 PM

Jan 1, 2025, 5:45 to 6:15 PM

Jan 5, 2025