The Pentucket School Committee voted in favor of taking a public stand against the passage of Ballot Question 1, an initiative to repeal the state income tax voters will consider on Election Day next month. The decision, proposed by Merrimac's Todd Treado, came after Superintendent Paul Livingston contacted the state Ethics Commission and the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to determine that legally a vote could take place on this issue at a public meeting.

Proponents of Question 1 argue that state leaders have not honored their promises to taxpayers. The proposal would save 3 million taxpayers an average of $3,600 annually and encourage people to work, invest and raise their families in Massachusetts, they say.

But a majority of the Pentucket board sided with opponents, who argue that passage would cost the state 40 percent of its income and place an unrealistic burden on local governments to bear the costs for education, health care, public safety and infrastructure.

It would mean a more than $6 million cut in funding for Pentucket, Livingston told the committee. The communities would then have to decide whether to slash 25 percent from the district's $32 million budget or restore services by funding the difference at the local level, he said.

"It would be an unmitigated disaster to our school system in the short term," said Treado.

Chairman Tom Atwood of West Newbury was the only member to vote against Treado's motion. He said that while he understands the "recklessness" of the ballot question as it is being proposed, he did not feel it was the committee's place to take a stand on political issues at the state level.

Treado disagreed. "We have a responsibility to the people that voted for us to weigh in on issues that will directly impact our children. It is important that we state how we feel about this."

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Following a communitywide discussion held over two days, Livingston announced new district guidelines proposed for governing the disciplinary consequences for students involved in drug or alcohol use. The guidelines and a list of associated questions developed by the community group will be reviewed at upcoming School Committee and School Council meetings this fall; parents and community members are encouraged to participate in those discussions.

Livingston is also seeking input from middle and high school student councils, class officers, athletic captains, club leaders and other student groups, as well as from the Pentucket Athletic Association and the Pentucket Fine and Performing Arts Foundation.

Under the proposed policy, if a violation within school or outside of school is confirmed by the principal, the student will receive a five- to 10-day school suspension and 45 days off from extracurricular activities or sports. The student is ineligible to hold a leadership role in a club or on a team for the remainder of the school year or an additional year if the 45-day period carries forward to the next academic year.

Subsequent violations could result in up to 18 months of probation, possible participation in an approved chemical dependency treatment program and more restrictive sanctions on participation in sports and extra-curricular activities.

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Nearly 300 parents attended this fall's Pentucket Regional Middle School's Back to School Night. This year the staff continues its focus on literacy. There is an emphasis on slowing down the learning process and helping students actively engage in thinking about their learning, notes Livingston.

"Middle school teachers will be continuing their working relationship with Tufts University and use additional collaborative time on early release Wednesdays to develop common strategies to meet our goals. This plan appears to be effective as the middle school community recently learned that the school has made Annual Yearly Progress as measured by No Child Left Behind and MCAS," he said.

Livingston touted high levels of student involvement after school as well. "The middle school chorus and bands have tremendous participation, the cross country team has had its first meet, the math team is gearing up for an exceptional year, students are writing and organizing our school newsletter and yearbook, student council elections have just been held, and approximately 225 students have recently joined the community service program. Middle school is truly an exciting place to learn and grow!"

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The final phase of a sewer line project at the middle school could cause traffic delays on Route 113, warned Facilities Manager Jerry Mondalto. Paving work starts Oct. 16 from the exit of the school's driveway west toward Groveland for about a mile. Work crews start at 7 a.m. and will work until 4 p.m. for approximately two weeks, with the actual paving scheduled for Oct. 23.

"Buses may be slightly delayed because of this project," Mondalto said.

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Livingston is hosting an opportunity for open discussion about any topic on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. in the conference room at the Superintendent's office at the middle school. Plan to attend and bring a friend or neighbor to share a cup of coffee and have questions answered. The superintendent will share discussions about the Community Wellness discussion of consequences for involvement with drugs and alcohol; the professional development work on early release Wednesday, the status of work with the State School Building Assistance Agency, and any other topics of interest.

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Jennifer Solis is a Daily News correspondent covering West Newbury municipal government and the Pentucket Regional School District. She can be reached at jensolis@comcast.net