Bangor-area towns consider consolidating schools as enrollment plummets

The school district that covers Clifton, Holden and Eddington is considering consolidating its three buildings as enrollment has plummeted faster than a 2015 study predicted.
Enrollment has steadily declined in the last 10 years, Superintendent Jared Fulgoni said. The district, Regional School Unit 63, caters to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The potential consolidation was discussed at a Monday school board meeting.
A 2015 study estimated 503 students would be enrolled; however, there are only 442 students in the district this year.
“We’re already years ahead of where it was projected,” he said.
It’s a common problem across the state, as rural towns throughout northern Maine have explored consolidation in recent years. Maine law outlines how and why a school building can close, and RSU 63 is looking at a closure due to “lack of need.” 
The district is just starting to explore if consolidation would be a good choice. The process will take at least a year but likely longer, Fulgoni said.
“The message that we’re trying to get to parents is we’re trying to do this well, not fast,” Fulgoni said.
A study will be done this year to look at the options for consolidation. The district has three school buildings: an elementary school in Holden, an elementary school in Eddington and a middle school in Holden.
Holbrook Middle School had more than 300 students in 2013 and only 178 students this year. Both elementary schools have seen similar decline, Fulgoni said.
After the study, the school board will decide what option makes the most sense while still providing the same program to students, Fulgoni said.
Then that choice will go to the voters in a referendum. If the recommendation is to close a school and voters choose to not follow that, taxpayers will be on the hook for the full amount it costs to keep the school running, Fulgoni said.