It is not lost on me that the process to get to a potential referendum on a new school project has been a long and winding road that most residents in town have not fully traveled. There have been stops and starts, not to mention a global pandemic, since I first voted against the proposal in 2019. Like many of you, I have a deep affection for our neighborhood schools. I attended Pleasant Hill (pre renovation) in the 80’s, and I am currently mentally preparing for the teary goodbye that will come when I drop my youngest off at Blue Point for her first day of kindergarten. To be clear, I will be the one crying…she is ready to rule the world. But when I think about what it is that I love about our primary schools, it is certainly not the buildings.
Back in 2019 I was hopeful that the buildings could be renovated. I have since learned that the renovation timeline would likely be a decade long, and even if the current lots had the space, the cost would be astronomical. I know that the unified school solution still has many people concerned. I am willing to roll up my sleeves and work through the concerns I am hearing because it is important to me that people trust that the due diligence has been done. We may ultimately disagree on some of the choices being made, but I hope we can all be solution driven. The council has several more weeks to decide if this project is ready to go to the voters this November. Currently, the council vote to place the unified school on the November 2023 ballot is scheduled for August 16th.
Over the past year many people have shared their biggest concerns with the Town Council, School Board, and Building Committee. While everyone comes to the table with their own perspectives there are several main concerns that I am hearing from the community. Not the least of which is the cost. The unified school is a huge financial investment, and it will have an impact on our tax bills. The Town is currently engaging with a third party advisor to better understand what the impact will be. I anticipate having a more concrete understanding of the tax impact prior to any council action to put the school on the ballot. I understand that not everyone can afford to see their taxes increase, but I also remain optimistic that once the financial models have been analyzed, there will be ways to finance the project that do not result in a huge spike to anyone’s tax bill.
I have also heard concerns about the site being within the Downs. I get that too, opinions surrounding deals with the Downs’ developers have been historically mixed, and I anticipate that some residents will prefer that the building committee had recommended a different location. The Downs site was not a forgone conclusion, and even I supported it with some reservations. It is important to me that the new school be centrally located, and given the limited availability of land, it is logical that the Downs site would be desirable. The Town is currently working through an appraisal process to determine a purchase price for the parcel. I for one will not move forward with a “deal at any cost,” so I am eager to see the final results of the negotiations. I believe that the benefits of the Downs location will ultimately outweigh the disadvantages, but acknowledge there will be some compromises as we navigate traffic, infrastructure, and the impact to neighbors. This would be the case no matter what site had been selected.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge concerns over the size of the school for our youngest learners. I’ll end where this article began. When I think about the neighborhood schools, it is not the buildings that I love; it is the way the people make me and my children feel. I am certain that so much care and planning has gone into the design of the new school to create a space that will feel welcoming, safe, and exciting for our k-3 kids. In fact we have a wonderful educational model within our community at Wentworth where the creative ways of making a big school feel small are on full display. In addition to the opportunities that the new school will bring to our k-3 kids, I am equally excited that the proposed solution will move the 6th graders out of the portable classrooms at the Middle School to Wentworth. The proposed unified school building is intended to be a district wide solution that, in my opinion, is long overdue.
There is still work to be done between now and August 16th. Should the council vote to send the school project to referendum in November, the Building Committee will be launching an information campaign to ensure that residents have all the information needed to cast their votes. If you have any questions or concerns, information is available on the building webpage (https://www.scarboroughschools.org/new-sps-building-project), or you can reach out to me directly at asither@scaboroughmaine.org.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
