Town voters can advance cooperative school district withdrawal plans

A member town can direct the cooperative school board to review a withdrawal proposal. This applies to a member district or town intending to leave a cooperative school district. Voters at a regular or special town meeting must approve a warrant article by a three-fifths majority. The vote and review may occur only after the tenth anniversary of the date the cooperative district took operating responsibility.

The withdrawing town’s voters decide whether to approve withdrawal, and the district clerk sends the vote record to the state board. The withdrawal vote is held in the withdrawing pre-existing district. The state board must approve the withdrawal plan before it goes to voters. After the state board approves the plan, it goes to voters under the existing procedure.

The committee develops a withdrawal plan whether it recommends withdrawal or not. This applies to the committee reviewing a proposed withdrawal from a cooperative school district. The committee may report that it needs more time and information, then must reconvene and file a later report; if it recommends withdrawal, it must develop and submit a plan. The plan is due to the state board by November 1; a committee needing more time must reconvene within 30 days and file a later report within 180 days of its first report.