HOLDEN -- According to the Maine Department of Education, school enrollment in the state has been declining for well over a decade, and with more empty classrooms more districts are turning towards consolidation. 

Regional School Unit 63 provides education to kindergarten through eighth graders in Eddington, Clifton and Holden. According to Superintendent Jared Fulgoni, the district is considering consolidating and closing one of its buildings as enrollment is much less than a 2015 study predicted. 

"We just aren't seeing the numbers in schools that we used to years ago, so the school is really needing to take some steps to adjust accordingly," said Fulgoni. 

The school board discussed this at their latest meeting. According to Fulgoni, the study estimated 503 students would be enrolled, but between the three schools there are only 442 students this year. 

"Almost right now we're about half the number of students that we were at when the study was first done in 2015, so you can see that's a pretty significant change for a small district in Maine," said Fulgoni. 

At the time of the study, Fulgoni says the Holbrook Middle School alone had over 300 students. Today there are 178, leaving hallways and classrooms that were once filled with students, now dark and empty. 

He says they are exploring their options and working to determine if they were to suggest closing any of the schools, which one it would be. Maine law determines how and why a school building is allowed to close, and RSU 63 is looking at closure due to "lack of need."

"It's a tough thing to ask the tax payers to continue to fund buildings that just aren't at capacity that we just don't need," said Fulgoni. "The ultimate goal really is to provide the highest quality of education we can, that's always the goal, but we want to do it in the most fiscally responsible way possible and right now having three schools I'm not sure is really the best use of local tax resources." 

According to the Director of School Construction Programs with the Maine Department of Education, Scott Brown, more schools across the state are heading in this direction due to declining enrollment and aging buildings. 

"Even the more mid-coastal, south coastal communities are looking to do consolidated projects, to make themselves more efficient, to reduce their footprint and try to provide educational services in a more efficient way," said Brown.  

If the district decides to propose consolidation, it will go to a referendum vote, giving the communities the final decision. 

"It really is a decision that is going to impact another generation, so we're really trying to be really thoughtful about that," said Fulgoni. 

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