Cup O’ Joe: What is best for the kids?

The town of Ludlow is once again mulling the possibility of withdrawing from SAD 70 with the intention of joining SAD 29.
A public hearing was held last week in the town, giving those both in favor or opposed to the withdrawal plan to ask their questions of superintendents Bob McDaniel (SAD 70) and Mike Hammer (SAD 29). About two dozen residents attended the hearing, trying to come up with concrete answers to questions that remain difficult to lock down.
    Geographically, the move makes complete sense. Look at a map and Houlton schools are closer to Ludlow than Hodgdon. In fact, SAD 70 school busses must drive through Houlton just to get to Hodgdon High School or Mill Pond Elementary School.
Some parents have expressed concerns about the amount of time students, particularly younger ones, spend on the bus going to or coming home from school. But this is Aroostook County, and nearly every school district has busses covering large distances that can result in lengthy bus rides for some students.
Others expressed it was a personal preference to send their children to SAD 29 because, logistically, the school is closer and they work in the town, therefore making it easier to pick them up in the event of an emergency. Still others said it was for educational reasons as the larger SAD 29 district can offer more programs.
Those opposed have stated their children would prefer to remain where they are at so they can stay with their friends. Also not every child can succeed in a larger school setting and parents feared their children would not perform well academically. They counter that by being in a smaller school creates fewer chances of being exposed to such things as bullying or drug matters.
Total enrollment in SAD 70 is about 500 students, McDaniel said, while SAD 29’s figure is about 1,300.
What is best for the individual students should be the driving factor in the decision to withdraw or not. But for some in the Ludlow community it is more about saving money, which is understandable in today’s tight economy. Those residents who are on fixed incomes are searching for any way possible to keep spending in check. Many of those residents are also likely to be older and no longer have children involved in the discussion.
It was believed the town could achieve a cost savings by switching school districts, but hard numbers for what that actual savings would be have been difficult to pinpoint since it would not take place until the next school year. School districts do not have solid budget figures for what their costs will be that far in advance, therefore making it impossible to answer the question of how much it will actually cost to educate children. What could be a savings one year in one school district could change dramatically the next year, based on how much funding each district receives from the state.
Both school districts provide students with quality education. Both are filled with staff members who know their children and care about their well being. It shouldn’t really be a case of “my school is better than your school,” which sadly is what the withdrawal discussion often descends to.
If it is about letting the student go where they want to, a “Superintendents’ Agreement” plan already exists. Any student who attends SAD 70 can ask that superintendent to let them attend SAD 29 and vice versa.
If it’s not broke, why try to fix it?
Readers chime in
In my column last week, I spoke of how the phrase “Don’t touch that dial” was used. Reader Leola Bishop wrote to remind me that the term “Don’t touch that dial” was first used on radio programs, particularly from the “Blondie and Dagwood” show.
I also asked readers how they were keeping warm and Peg Coolong wrote to tell me about how an older lady once wrote to the newspaper that placing a doily on one’s head was a good way to keep warm. Peg also said her solution to the heating dilemma was to have afghans, throws and little quilts around for quick cover-ups. And another trick is putting sturdy pillows on the floor to keep one’s feet off the floor.
Thank you ladies.