Gorham school officials last week discuss plans for a $750,000 new kitchen at Narragansett Elementary School. Robert Lowell / American Journal
GORHAM — The Town Council could intercede in the School Department’s plan to partially fund the relocation of a kitchen at Narragansett Elementary School with money voters approved in a referendum last June.
The School Committee on Feb. 26 voted 6-1 to approve a new $750,000 school kitchen to serve students in new modular classrooms. The School Department would spend $500,000 from last June’s $2.8 million referendum approved by voters for the first phase of a modular project to accommodate the school’s expanding enrollment. Then, it would spend $249,000 from the operating budget to move and reinstall kitchen equipment.
The plan has raised some eyebrows because there was no mention of a kitchen in the wording of the referendum as approved. The referendum called for the installation of modular classrooms and cafeteria space.
School Committee member Phil Gagnon opposed last week’s School Committee action. Gagnon said a kitchen was not in the plan. He favored a new kitchen but didn’t agree with how it was being done.
“I think you’re controversial at this point,” Gagnon said last week. “I want to ensure we’re doing will of the people.”
Town Council Vice Chairman Ronald Shepard said Tuesday that School Superintendent Heather Perry would address councilors about the modular project at their meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10.
He said town councilors would “listen and figure out where we go.”
Town Councilor Benjamin Hartwell, who has recently been at odds with the School Committee over its reporting compliance for subcommittee meetings, this week faulted the plan for a new kitchen.
“It exceeds the scope of the project that the voters approved last year,” he said.
Hartwell said he and Shepard may sponsor an agenda item next week to force another referendum on the issue.
Perry said in a letter Feb. 10 to Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak and town councilors that it would not be safe to transport meals from Narragansett’s existing kitchen through a gym that will be constantly in use to a cafeteria near the modulars.
“The plan is to go ahead and move the kitchen from its current location to where we were planning on moving it in a future phase of the modular expansion project,” Perry wrote.
The modular project as originally outlined is on schedule and is “comfortably under budget,” her letter said.
Perry sought a lawyer’s opinion about the legality of using $500,000 in excess bond proceeds and $249,000 from the operating budget to pay for the kitchen.
“The short answer is that while the matter is not free from doubt we believe the School Committee has this discretion under the circumstances,” E. William Stockmeyer of the Drummond Woodsum law firm wrote on Feb. 21.
Hartwell is waiting for an opinion on the matter from the town’s lawyer.
Perry said Wednesday that classes will begin in the new modular spaces at Narragansett School when school opens for the 2020-21 school year.
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