CUMBERLAND — Voters in Cumberland and North Yarmouth will vote in November whether to spend up to $9.5 million to build a performing arts center at Greely High School.

The proposed two-story extension will include a 500-700 seat auditorium and rooms for music practice, makeup and dressing rooms, and storage.

Supporters of the arts center say the high school’s performing space is inadequate and a new center is important for the schools and community. But some opponents are worried that the school district is overlooking other improvements needed at its schools.

The question will be on the Nov. 8 ballot in both towns, part of School Administrative District 51.

Plans for a performing arts center have been in the books for 15 years. In 2001, voters approved a $5 million plan for an arts center, but rejected spending $1.5 million more to cover increased cost of construction three years later. In 2014, the issue came up again as part of developing the strategic plan, but was never pursued.

Supporters feel this is the right time to bring the proposal to voters.

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The current performing space also serves as the high school’s cafeteria and is inadequate in terms of lighting, sound system, set or practice space, said Building Committee Chairwoman Gigi Sanchez. MSAD 51 and Gray-New Gloucester are the only two nearby school districts without a performing arts center, she said.

When the district developed its three-year strategic plan in 2015, the performing arts center was brought up repeatedly as something the district really needed, Sanchez said.

“Even people who are against it because they are concerned about money or property taxes, they can’t say they with a straight face it isn’t needed,” she said.

Although the plan seems to be moving ahead quickly, the board felt it was important to bring the issue forward to capture the likely high voter turnout for the presidential election this year.

“We really felt it was important to shoot for November to get the most participation,” Sanchez said.

The proposed facility would be paid for through a 20-year bond. Payments would start in 2019 and peak interest would be in 2021. In that year, the addition to the tax bill for a $300,000 home will be $69 in Cumberland and $84 in North Yarmouth, based on current valuation. Annual operating costs, including paying for a part-time theater manager, will be approximately $133,000 a year, which will not be paid through the bond.

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While proponents say the proposal has substantial public support, some think it needs more work.

School Board member John Simpson of Cumberland said he supports building a new performing arts center, but the district hasn’t come up with a detailed plan that shows it needs to be prioritized over other needs.

“The issue that I have is that there are other capital improvement projects that need to be done soon that are very substantial,” Simpson said.

Other needs include added classroom space at the Mabel I. Wilson elementary school, improvements at the high school, a turf sports field and repairs to the school pool.

So far, all the district has is a list of facility needs, and hasn’t estimated costs or decided which needs should come first, Simpson said.

If voters approve borrowing for the arts center, they might not support another bond in the near future to pay for other improvements, he said.

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“In my view, what we should be doing is spending another six months to study the issues and get public input, and if the performing arts center is what the school needs, that is fine,” Simpson said.

Simpson and Kate Perrin, a board member from North Yarmouth, were the only members of the nine-person board who last week voted against sending the issue to referendum.

“I feel like we may be jumping the gun,” Perrin said. Recent enrollment projections show district growth in the next decade and there might not be funding to add classroom space it needs, especially in the elementary school.

“I am supportive of the performing arts center – I just feel we may be moving ourselves into portables,” Perrin said.

Critics raise legitimate questions, but part of the reason the performing arts center is being proposed now is because the board has all the information it needs to act, said Superintendent Jeff Porter.

Other facilities need work, but what gets prioritized depends on board discussions including the future of pre-K programs and grade reconfiguration, Porter said. Without that information, the district can’t come up with a long-term facilities plan with funding, he said.

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On the other hand, the board knows right now what the arts center is likely to cost, where it will go and that it is needed in the district, Porter said.

“Other parts of the facility plan are not packaged up yet,” Porter said. “The board didn’t want to stall on this one when they had the information.”

Peter McGuire can be contacted at 791-6325 or

pmcguire@pressherald.com

Twitter: @PeteL_McGuire


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