The Cape Elizabeth Town Council on Monday scheduled a public hearing for Monday, March 24, on the proposed $86.5 million school project.

The $86.5 million price tag, which comes with an estimated tax increase of 11.6% to 12.3%, depending on the interest rate, assumes the project is passed at a June referendum. According to Harriman Architects, if the vote doesn’t take place until November, the price will likely increase by about $1 million.

Cape Elizabeth Town Council has scheduled a public hearing for March 24 on the proposed $86.5 million school project. Drew Johnson / Sentry

If passed by voters, the $86.5 million would be used to build a new middle school and conduct renovations and additions at the elementary school. More renovations for the elementary school and the high school are proposed to be conducted through the school district’s capital improvement budget over the next 12 years.

Voters would also be asked to expend roughly $1.7 million to install a solar array on the new middle school’s roof.

Previous proposals that have been voted down at referendums, in 2022 and 2024, included money for renovations and repairs at the high school. Councilor Tim Thompson asked the town’s owner’s representative for the project, Chuck Adam of Turner & Townsend Heery, if taking those renovations out of the main project and conducting them through the capital improvement budget is normal.

“It’s been done,” Adam said. “I’ve had clients, myself, in Massachusetts who have said, ‘We’d like to replace both buildings,’ go through the process and realize they can’t afford it. So, what do you do? You look for the best solution to solve the greater problem.”

Later, Adam added, “This is the best option for what you’ve told us your budget constraints are.”

Thompson also said it will be important for the town to nail down the expected interest rate of the bond, which would clarify the exact tax increase, and for the school district to display what its capital improvement budget will look like over those 12 years, ahead of the public hearing.

“We really have to get the public behind this if we’re going to have success with a referendum,” Thompson said. “I think getting the correct interest assumption, getting a more complete layout of how the CIPs are going to be handled with the next 12 years worth of budgets, I think that will be very valuable for the public.”

The plan drafted by two former School Building Advisory Committee members, Larry Benoit and Michael Hussey, was brought up at Monday’s meeting again. Those for Benoit and Hussey’s plan, which includes a new multistory wing for the middle school rather than an entirely new building, argued it wasn’t given serious consideration. Those against have claimed it’s not a legitimate plan.

While the school board and Harriman Architects deemed Benoit and Hussey’s plan didn’t meet all the needs of the district, and Harriman requested they stop utilizing their designs, Council Chair Penny Jordan said she wished they were given the chance to meet with Harriman and the school board.

“I agree with people who speak and say, ‘They aren’t architects, they aren’t engineers, they aren’t this, they aren’t that,’ but they spent almost a year and a half of their life immersed in these projects,” Jordan said. “I think what saddens me is that they weren’t given the air time to really explain it and to have the dialogue that says, ‘No, Larry and Michael, this is why this won’t work.’ If we had done that, we wouldn’t be continuing the conversation about it.”

Residents who spoke at Monday’s meeting differed on when they think the best date for a referendum is. Those in favor of a June referendum argued that it’s necessary due to the potential $1 million increase if the vote is further delayed. Those who favored a November vote said the project is a big decision and should take place at an election with a higher turnout, which is often November.

The public hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, at Cape Elizabeth Town Hall.