The City of Saco and The Ecology School have agreed that the school will provide an extra $5,000 worth of programming annually to Saco children for the next eight years after the COVID-19 pandemic limited in person programs this year. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald
SACO — The Ecology School will provide additional education to Saco children for the next eight years, at a value of $5,000 per year, after the coronavirus pandemic limited the school’s ability to provide in-person programming this year.
The Saco City Council unanimously approved a Memorandum of Agreement with The Ecology School on Jan. 25.
Councilor Marshall Archer introduced the proposal. He said the school and the city had entered into a contract zone agreement on Feb. 1, 2016, amended Jan, 18, 2018, that allowed the school to operate in the C-1 zone, specifically at 184 Simpson Road.
“A condition of the contract zone requires that The Ecology School either provide Saco city schools with education programming valued at $40,000 (annually) or pay a direct fee payment of $20,000 every year,” said Archer, reading from prepared remarks. “The COVID-19 pandemic has placed constraints on in-person ecology programming, and the fee would cause The Ecology School a large financial burden during the pandemic. The City of Saco wishes to enter into a Memo of Agreement, with The Ecology School, in which (the school) would offer additional programming over eight years to compensate for the programming that was missed during COVID.”
Terms of the agreement note that if Saco schools are amenable, The Ecology School may deliver the additional programming services to the Saco Parks and Recreation Department for their users.
“I believe the MOA is fair and balanced to both parties,“ said Archer. He said the agreement recognizes the school’s commitment to the contract, that the city is upholding the contract — and recognizes what COVID-19 has done to the community.
“I support this,” said Councilor Nathan Johnston.
“I’m generally in favor,” said Councilor Michael Burman, but wondered if there was available capacity .
Mayor William Doyle said there is.
“One year they did go over (the amount of programming required) so it is achievable,” said Doyle. “Whether it is achievable this year is unanswered at this time, but they have (previously) gone over the $40,000-mark according to their reporting and the schools’ reporting, and that is what we have been using as a benchmark since its inception.”
The agreement does contain a provision that if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to interfere with and limit programming beyond May 30, and the school establishes to the satisfaction of the city that it cannot provide services over the summer and fall of 2021, that the requirements be waived for calendar year 2020 but obligations for calendar 2021 and beyond would remain in effect.
The Ecology School President Drew Dumsch said adding Saco Parks and Recreation is a benefit and TES has the capacity to work with the department as well as the public schools.
“I look forward to when our campus opens later this year (and to) working with Saco schools and Parks and Rec,” said Dumsch.
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