BRUNSWICK
School board member Sarah Singer said Coffin Elementary School is so full, janitorial closets and bathrooms have been turned into classroom space.
Singer and other school officials presented reasons Monday at a Rotary Club meeting why the board voted to build a new elementary school instead of renovating the current one. Next month, voters will decide whether to spend $28 million to replace the 62-year-old school.
Four outbuildings on the campus, built in 1969, house the library and additional classroom space. Those structures were only supposed to be used temporarily, for five years.
Structurally, the main building, which houses 400 students, has its own challenges. The school’s pipes are original to the building, constructed in 1957. They leak and are corroded, as illustrated in the slides Singer presented. Asbestos is also present in the building, and Singer said this is why a renovation project would not be the best option as they are trying to limited disturbing the asbestos. The exterior door jams and wood frequently rot and are repaired because of structural design shortcomings that lead to water running down the side of the school.
If approved, the new school would be constructed at the site of the now-defunct Jordan Acres School. Coffin Elementary houses kindergarten and first grade, as well as some pre-school classes. The design for the new school, drafted by PDT Architects of Portland, would serve kindergarten, first and second grades, as well as provide space for two pre-K programs to teach an estimated 120 students. The school would be built to serve up to grade 5, and accommodate for a growth of 200 students. The school would be heated and cooled using geothermal technology, and the roof would be designed to accommodate solar panels in the future.
When asked whether there will be state funding available for the new school, Singer said the district has submitted an application, but said it is unlikely Brunswick will receive money because 80 other districts have also applied for funding. The other districts may be first in the queue and have not received state aid for other projects, granting them an advantage. Brunswick previously received aid in building Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School.
Singer said it could be 15 years before money is available to help match building costs, but reiterated there is no time to wait.
The district has also submitted an application for $5.7 million in renovations for the Brunswick Junior High School. The town council previously decided not to move to referendum the request for the junior high.
According to a previously published Times Record article, taxes will increase if the bond is approved. Depending on the method used to pay the debt service, the tax rate increase is estimated at between 4.38 and 5.08 percent. That means the owner of a home worth $115,700 would see their tax bill increase an estimated $149 to $172. It would take 25 years to repay the bond and payments would decrease over time.
The vote is slated for June 13.
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