Union 69 moves district offices from Hope to Lincolnville
LINCOLNVILLE — The main office for School Union 69, housing the Superintendent’s Office and the special education office, has moved from its current location on Camden Road in Hope to a building on Atlantic Highway in Lincolnville, formerly home to Lincolnville Family Dentistry. Union 69 is the school district for Appleton, Hope and Lincolnville schools.
Members of the joint Union 69 school committees discussed potential options for where to host the offices as the five-year lease for the Hope building expires at Halloween.
A subcommittee, consisting of board members representing each town, was formed to work with Union 69 Superintendent Kate Clark on negotiation the contract and exploring other options.
After a handful of meetings over the summer and following much deliberation, the subcommittee voted to relocate the central office, ultimately to Lincolnville.
“The new office is significantly less expensive, the district could realize savings in the neighborhood of $30,000 over the next 5 years, when compared to the proposed lease on the current office,” Clark wrote in a newsletter announcing the news to parents. “Additionally, the new office is ADA compliant and accessible to people with disabilities, which was an important factor in the decision to move.”
In an email to PenBayPilot.com, Clark noted a drawback of the move from Hope to Lincolnville is that the central office is no longer centrally located to the three towns, meaning the district will need to adjust its routes to visit schools and town offices. All pros and cons, however, were weighed during the decision making process, she said.
“We have been keeping a weather eye on the costs, but do not yet have all the information to do a full cost analysis,” Clark said when asked about how much the relocation is costing the district. “However, the savings in rent and heat for this year alone will significantly balance any costs associated with the move.”
The new address of the central office is 2561 Atlantic Highway in Lincolnville. The phone number, 763-3818, remains the same.
