Overview

• The vote followed weeks of public input urging delays or alternatives, and the meeting adjourned to jeers after the decision.
• District estimates show closing both schools saves about $3.3 million versus $1.6–$2.0 million from closing only one.
• Plans now focus on redrawing attendance boundaries by February, finalizing staffing by mid-March, and then redesigning bus routes.
• Board member Erin Gerlach was the lone dissenter, seeking a pause to explore other options, but her motion to table lacked a second.
• Reporting describes Houlton as the district’s top-performing elementary, a point parents cited while officials emphasized enrollment declines and funding constraints.