Regional school meeting set up

Freetown accedes to date with Lakeville

By Mary Jo Curtis, Standard-Times staff writer

Freetown and Lakeville selectmen will meet at least one more time with school officials before deciding if they will move forward with renovation plans for the regional high school.

Frustrated by the Freetown board's absence at two recent key school planning sessions, Lakeville selectmen traveled to the neighboring community last night to ask its selectmen to put the high school project before voters as soon as possible. They also solicited their involvement in planning how to meet the regional school district's growing space needs.

"I don't have to tell you how difficult the situation is," said Lakeville Selectman Richard LaCamera, referring to the current impasse between the two towns over whether to renovate or replace the regional middle school. "It's important that selectmen in both towns participate in the process, and Freetown hasn't so far. We'd like to fix that."

A combined proposal to build a middle school and to renovate the high school was approved by Lakeville voters but rejected by Freetown voters last spring. Regional school and Lakeville town officials now want to move on the high school part of the project as soon as possible.

The Lakeville visitors, however, were greeted by only two of their three counterparts. Board Chairman Christopher D. McCarthy, who vowed last week to abstain from voting on all future school issues after receiving an admonishment from the state Ethics Commission, was absent. The other two selectmen, Robert A. Robidoux and John S. Ashley, disagreed over moving forward with the high school project.

"I want to hear from the other side and see some numbers on this first," Mr. Ashley said. The selectman said he plans to attend an informational session sponsored by proponents of the so-called olive branch school expansion plan Wednesday night to "hear what people have to say."

Mr. Ashley said he would then agree to meet with Lakeville and school officials to discuss the region's best options, but only if the session is led by a moderator with no tie to either town.

"We did have a meeting like that, but there were no Freetown selectmen there," charged Regional School Committee Chairman Darlene Donnelly. "I'd like you to call the meeting this time and I'll get a moderator, but you have to show up."

Officials from the two towns agreed to meet Sept. 23 with the regional school panel.

Mr. McCarthy was advised last week by state ethics officials to file written notice with the town clerk that his father is employed by the regional school district before acting on school issues. Mr. Robidoux said he received a letter from the Ethics Commission, as well, although he has refused to elaborate on its content.

But Mr. Robidoux did open last night's joint session by informing those present he, too, is employed by the school district and has been for 25 years as a teacher at Apponequet Regional High School. He will file official written notice and has asked his personal attorney and town counsel to review his letter from the ethics board, he noted.

"I can't receive any bonuses, promotions, demotions or any benefit" by supporting the school proposal, Mr. Robidoux said. "I'll be damned if I'm going to take a back seat on this because somebody thinks I have something to gain."

Mr. Robidoux called for a cost analysis of four options currently under consideration, including a complete K-12 regionalization, dissolving the current grade 5-12 regional agreement, deregionalizing grade 5 and the olive branch plan.

School and municipal officials met with a consultant Sept. 1 to arrange for that analysis, but the educational specialist has since decided not to undertake the project, said School Superintendent Dennis Flynn. Regional school board members must now decide whether to seek another consultant or have the work done in-house.