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Alna residents vote in favor of dropping school choice option

"We need options for our kids because we don't have a school district."

*UPDATE* 3/23 10 p.m. – Alna residents voted in favor Friday night of dropping the community's school choice option, 258-161, according to the Wiscasset Newspaper.

This decision removes the option of students choosing to attend publicly-funded private school.

ALNA (NEWS CENTER Maine) — School choice is at the heart of a controversial referendum being voted on Friday in the Lincoln County town of Alna.

The community of 700 is one of a handful of towns that allows students to attend private or public schools of their choice at taxpayers expense.

Voters are deciding a referendum question that would require all students grades K through 8th to go to the public school of their choice. Once students reach high school they can attend a private school as well.

If passed it would affect students who moved to Alna after June 30; the remaining students would be grandfathered.

Supporters say people are moving to the town to take advantage of the policy and that will lead to higher taxes. Opponents dispute that, saying the town's population has remained the same since the policy started nearly 20 years ago.

"We need options as parents. We don't have the protection of having our own schools," said Kathy Downing, a parent in Alna. "I think it's a great idea to support all kinds of school choice but I don't want the grown of the town to be out of control."

Residents also want the town to set up a task force to negotiate a contract with local districts to get a better deal for taxpayers.

The polls close at 7 p.m. Friday.

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