In about three years, children in Buxton will be attending a new, $28 million elementary school, now that voters in School Administative District 6 have approved borrowing money to build it.
In two separate questions, voters approved the $26.7 million school and approved an additional $1.3 million for an expanded gym, complete with bleachers and a fitness room, to be paid with local money from the five SAD 6 towns.
Buxton voters favored the new school, 499-170, and the expanded gym, 433-231. Town Clerk John Myers said 669 ballots were cast in Buxton, representing 11 percent of voters. In the light turnout, town moderator Hiram Davis said 250 had cast ballots by 1:30 p.m.
The other SAD 6 towns voting in the referendum were Standish, Limington, Hollis and Frye Island. Standish voters favored the new school, 226-116, but narrowly rejected the gym, 172-171. Limington voters cast 145 votes, approving the school, 85-60, but objecting to the expanded gym, 80-65.
Frye Island, which doesn’t have any children going to SAD 6 schools, opposed the school, 4-5, and the gym, 2-7, according to Town Clerk Wayne Fournier. Hollis voters favored the school, 131-69, and the expanded gym, 114-95.
A parent, Becky Breton of Buxton, said at the polls that a new school is needed because Buxton is an “up and coming” community with a lot of young families moving in. “I voted for it, including the gym,” Breton said.
But Bob McManus, also of Buxton, opposed building a new school. “I absolutely voted no,” McManus said.
McManus said the new school would be great for families, but not for others. “I’m retired and I don’t want to see my taxes increased,” McManus said. “It’s pushing us out of Maine.”
The state will pay for 95 percent of the entire project. In addition to paying extra for the gym, SAD 6 taxpayers will pay $130,000 to buy additional land and hire a representative to oversee construction.
The elementary school will be built adjacent to the Hanson-Jewett schools complex, now a 10-acre site at the intersection of Long Plains and Groveville roads in Buxton Center. To enlarge the site to accommodate the new school, SAD 6 is buying an adjacent 10-acre parcel from Bob and Joan Weeman and another two acres from Max Salevsky.
The school for 850 students will replace Buxton’s four existing elementary schools – Hanson, Jewett, Eliza Libby and Jack Memorial.
Elizabeth Tracy of Buxton said the existing elementary schools in Buxton are run down and needed work. Tracy said the expanded gym would benefit everyone including senior citizens. “I voted yes on both,” Tracy said.
Mary Gray of Buxton has two grandchildren in Buxton schools and approved consolidating the four schools into one new building. “I do favor the schools,” Gray said.
Anna Bonner of Buxton, a former teacher in Germany, said the town’s elementary schools are crowded. “I think they need a new school,” Bonner said.
The new school is expected to open in 2010 with 750 students. A mother of two young children, Rhonda Cook, has a daughter who will attend the new school. “The old Hanson School is in rough shape,” said Cook, who voted in favor.
SAD 6 has plans to convert the existing elementary schools, with the exception of the Hanson School, to other district uses. Selectman Bob Libby said the fate of the Hanson School, once the town’s high school, is unknown.
Elementary enrollment in Buxton is expected to increase by 30 percent over the next 10 years. Superintendent Suzanne Lukas said Tuesday the district got state approval for the project on April 11.
The school district set the May 22 vote because officials didn’t want to wait for the June 12 Buxton municipal election, which also includes a vote on the SAD 6 budget. Lukas said the school district wanted a referendum as “quickly as possible,” not taking a chance on missing a bonding deadline next spring, which would have delayed the project.
Cutline (AJ Buxton School Vote002.jpg) – Pat Morrison works on the afghan she’s knitting while watching the ballot box in Buxton during a slow period in Tuesday’s voting for a new middle school. Send questions/comments to the editors.
