The build-up to Scarborough’s vote on a $160 million school project was contentious and the fallout has been too, leaving some residents distrustful of their elected officials.
Voters’ reasons for opposing the new K-3 consolidated school ranged from the cost to taxpayers, the preference of building a fourth primary school, the location at The Downs, the land deal with The Downs and a proposed access road. For at least one or a number of those reasons, residents shot down the project 5,913 to 3,364 in November.
Some residents felt ignored by elected officials when voicing their concerns about the proposal in the months leading up to the referendum, and heated comments directed toward Facebook groups of residents who opposed the project led to the resignation of a school board member. Elected officials say they need to do a better job of ensuring that all residents feel welcome at the table to restore the lost trust.
Concerns ‘disregarded’
Six residents, most of whom are members of Facebook groups that opposed the school project, told The Forecaster that they’ve lost trust in public officials who ignored concerns they brought to public meetings in the spring and summer. Most were especially concerned about the proposed easterly access road from the new school. They worried it would lead to neighborhood-altering traffic not only to the school but to the 500 residential units already built at The Downs and commercial destinations, such as Costco.
Tensions are still high in Scarborough in the wake of last month’s defeat of a $160 million bond for a new K-3 school. File photo / The Forecaster
Town Councilor Don Hamill agrees with their perception.
“I felt that the town has completely disregarded serious concerns,” Hamill told The Forecaster in an interview last week. “I’ve tried to do what I swore an oath to do; to serve the best interests of the town.”
Hamill continually voiced his disapproval of the direction the project was heading over the past year and often cast sole “no” votes on related measures, such as the town’s land deal with The Downs and sending the proposal to a referendum. He said residents in opposition felt it was “the wrong deal, the wrong location and the wrong price.”
Many residents have consistently opposed other big projects, he said, such as a library expansion that failed last year and the public safety building which passed narrowly in 2017.
“Folks have said two primary things: we need to slow down growth and that we need to stop spending so much money,” Hamill said.
In conversations and email exchanges with The Forecaster, several residents cited the results of a 2022 townwide survey that found the majority of respondents thought the pace of residential growth was too fast.
“The public is telling us what they want,” Hamill said. “The issue is that we need to accept what we’ve been told.”
Maiorino resigns
Tensions boiled over last month when the community began dissecting why its most recent effort to alleviate overcrowding in the school district failed. School Board member Brian Maiorino resigned Nov. 17, a day after calling organized groups of residents who opposed the referendum “hate groups.” His comment at a joint Town Council and School Board workshop came as he was arguing that local politics in Scarborough would benefit from healthier communication between community members and officials with opposing views.
Scarborough residents vote Nov. 7, ultimately defeating the school referendum 5,913 to 3,364. File photo / The Forecaster
“I’m going to call them a hate group because that’s what it seems like,” Maiorino said. “There’s not much (that isn’t) negative that comes out of these local packs. Honestly, I haven’t seen a single thing positive.”
Maiorino later at the workshop said that “calling some of these groups ‘hate groups’ might have been too strong” and emphasized, “it’s the kindness piece that gets to me in terms of my frustration, and that’s where I was speaking from.”
Members of the Facebook groups “Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough Maine,” “Save Sawyer Road!” and “Keep Maple Avenue Safe,” who opposed the November referendum, posted and told The Forecaster that Maiorino’s depiction of them was insulting and at the very least concerning.
Maiorino, in a statement he issued about his resignation, apologized for the impact of his comments. He told The Forecaster in an email that his “decision to resign stems from a genuine desire to seek a more impactful way to contribute positively to the community, aligning better with my personal values, especially my commitment to prioritizing family time.”
The board put out a statement thanking him for his service and said the board’s focus is “on connecting, building trust with the community and developing a shared vision of excellence for our students.”
Going forward
Nick McGee is entering his second year as a town councilor and his first as chairperson. He’s witnessed the tension around the schools and other issues and hopes to set a tone of healthy communication.
“It starts with us,” he told The Forecaster in an interview last week. “The way we interact with the public is key to how all of the discussions on all of these controversial issues go forward.”
Proponents of the school project have repeatedly said that although the school board’s Building Committee has been at work on the consolidated solution for multiple years, many opponents didn’t speak up until the late stages. Meanwhile, those who entered the conversation late have argued that important details came just months before the vote, including the location, land deal and easterly access road.
“I think that’s actually one of the awesome things that’s going to come out of this,” McGee said. “We now have a whole new pool of people who are excited to get involved in finding a solution. God bless the building committee that stuck with this. Those people have put blood, sweat and tears into all of it and they gave it their best effort … but now we have a whole new level of excitement around finding a solution, and I think that’s the silver lining of all of this.”
When it comes to finding a solution to the overcrowded schools, and other issues in town, both Hamill and McGee said making sure everyone feels welcome to share their voice is crucial.
“Let’s sit around the table and talk,” McGee said. “Let’s listen.”
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