News

Gray -- As PDT Architect Manning Morrill unloaded boxes of thick binders, the SAD 15 School Board Facilities sub committee settled into their chairs around the table at Russell School Library. On the agenda was how much it will cost to fix the most critical needs of the five school-owned buildings. The SAD is putting together both an application for money from the State's Revolving Renovation Funds (RRF) program and a bond to pay for local portions of any unfunded renovations that the state decides not to cover.

The Facilities sub-committee, called the Facilities Upgrade Renovations Committee, has on it as members two citizens, Hal Phillips from New Gloucester and Andy Upham from Gray. Also on the committee are Principals Dan Joseph and Paul Penna, Administrators Terry Towle and Victoria Burns, teacher Deb Ledoux, and Board members Carmel Morin, Peter Pinkerton, David Sutherland, and Board Chair Alan Rich.

The committee heard the news from PDT Architects Manning Morrill and Lyndon Keck, that successful applications to the RRF involve demonstrating needs through space and programming. Mr. Keck said that money is allotted through the program for renovations only, no new construction is funded. With that said, Mr. Keck also recommended that the oldest parts of Memorial School and Russell school, both wings that are over 60 years old, be demolished. It was not worth spending money on portions of the building that have outlived their useful life, Mr. Keck said. He recommended that with space needs as they are now, that demolishing either or both wings at the two schools would not impact current programming.

Mr. Keck recommended to the committee and the Board that they decide how they want to run the schools in the future. For example, if the SAD decides to institute an All Day Kindergarten program, then removing the old wings would leave no room for the new program. While local funds could be requested to rebuild the demolished wings, Mr. Keck said, however, that "very quickly the combinations get to be wild with trying to decide to keep and renovate, demolish, demo and build new wings, or build new schools."

The Committee decided to go through the prioritized work orders that describe the items that need fixing in all schools and to choose which to include in the RRF application. Meanwhile, the committee Board members will inform the remaining Board members at the next School Board meeting as to the progress and to reconfirm the Board's intention to keep all three schools open. The SAD had surveyed the community in a non-binding referendum two years ago as to whether to keep all three elementary schools open or to consolidate them. The community spoke clearly athat they want the three schools kept open. Less clear as to how deeply they would want to dig into their pocketbooks to pay for it.

The Committee grappled with the dawning knowledge that their job was to either to reconfirm whether to keep three neighborhood schools intact and risk a higher bond number that may fail at the ballot box, or to controvert the community's wish and propose a less expensive bond. As of now the Committee's straw vote was to continue with honoring the community's wish to repair all three schools, even though that may also risk the State's displeasure with of awarding renovation funds to portions of schools that the State will likely feel is not worth the investment, Mr. Keck warned.

Pennell Institute is two-building complex on five acres that the SAD also manages through the Pennell Trust. The main building is also in need of some 1.5 million in repairs. Dr. Rich said after the meeting that Pennell is currently not included in the upcoming bond proposal. However, he said that he is thinking of an idea that may solve the dilemma, which is to offer it to the Library, perhaps through the Friends of the Library.

The Friends are incorporating into a 501(c ) 3 tax exempt corporation and also undergoing a major fund raising campaign to renovate their current facility. Dr. Rich said that with the library inhabiting the building it would maintain the trust intention as an educational use facility and also allow the library to carry on with their fundraising, just in a different building.

The space would be large enough, Dr. Rich said, and the Trustees have already received a $100,000 donation that could begin the renovation project. Tax-exempt status allows them to be eligible for grants and other funding that would be denied to a government entity. Dr. Rich said he asked the SAD lawyers to review whether this is even technically possible and if it is, he will ask the Board for consensus on going to the Attorney General for permission to transfer the trust.

The next Renovations Committee meeting is March 21 at 6 p.m. at Russell School. The meeting is open to the public and the public is welcome to attend.