Athens voters approve joining AOS 94

Staff Report
    ATHENS — Alternative Organizational Structure 94, based in Dexter, now has a new member community.
    Voters in the Somerset County town of Athens approved joining the school unit at Saturday’s annual town meeting by a vote of 48-1, according to the Central Maine Morning Sentinel.

    AOS 94 consists of the School Administrative District 46 towns of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley plus the Harmony Consolidated School.
    AOS municipalities who are not part of the original school administrative district maintain their own budgets and elect their school boards. Representatives from each school board also serve on an AOS school committee.
    But all AOS towns share the cost of the superintendent, central office staff, special education budget and transportation. Athens, like Harmony, will now have a five-member school board.
    Athens Elementary School has 120 students in grades K-8 and has been a temporary member of AOS 94 since last summer. Athens residents voted to leave School Administrative District 59 in May 2013 by a vote of 194-10.