Bond myth busters

There are a lot of myths surrounding the proposed renovations of Freeport High. Fortunately, we live in the Information Age and need not rely on rumors.

Myth 1: “Freeport is a rich town, while Durham and Pownal are poor farming communities.” According the 2010 U.S. Census, the median household income was lowest in Freeport. Freeport’s median household income in 2010 was $52,023, while Durham and Pownal came in at $53,846 and $54,219, respectively. Recall that median is not average. Median means that half the households are below that number, half above. Freeport also has the largest percentage of people over 65, and more seniors on Social Security than Durham (2010 U.S. Census).

Myth 2: “Our town is so different from that town fie miles down the road that we could never work together.” The tri-town area is an incredibly homogeneous community, each town over 95 percent white (2010 Census) and middle class. School districts in New York and Los Angeles make it work despite having to accommodate Muslim, Jewish, and Christian families, Spanish speakers, black, white, Asian and other. Our situation requires only a milligram of tolerance.

Myth 3: “Voting no on renovations will keep our taxes low.” A no vote does not mean nothing will change. If renovations are denied, it most likely would result in Freeport seceding from the RSU. Two years ago, Kevin Nadeau made it crystal clear that it would cost Durham more in money and privileges to go it alone. Studies suggest it would be more costly for Freeport, as well. Even with the renovation bond, it is still less expensive to stay and renovate than it is to go it alone. A spread sheet showing the accounting is available online at http://supportrsu5.wordpress.com.

Myth 4: “If Freeport leaves the RSU we can do what we want with our high school.” FHS belongs to RSU 5. If Freeport leaves the RSU, then FHS belongs to the remaining members of the RSU, Pownal and Durham. Freeport residents: Look before you leap.

Myth 5: “If we vote yes, and then Freeport secedes, we will be stuck paying for their high school.” If Freeport secedes, it invalidates the renovation vote. Nothing will be done, no money spent. That is the law. If any town secedes, at any time in the future, the debt would be reorganized. Essentially, there is no way to get stuck with the bill.

Myth 6: “They want a lot of fancy stuff in this renovation.” Presently, FHS is not ADA compliant, making it a lawsuit waiting to happen. It fails to meet modern safety and security standards as specified by the Maine Department of Education. There is scanty insulation and leaky windows. Plumbing, lighting, and fixtures date from 1961. Some teachers have no classrooms, some classrooms don’t have enough seats. Bringing the facility up to code is hardly frivolous and it would save money in oil costs every year going forward. The safety and security of our kids is paramount.

Myth 7: “This is the same bond we rejected in June.” In response to the June vote, $580,000 was cut from the renovation, making this a bare-bones project. The athletic facilities were also separated from the renovation in order to make it more palatable to voters (rsu5.org/FHSFacilities).

If you had enough chairs in your school when you were 16, someone paid for them. The decision not to pay it forward fails the sniff test.

Kristin Nam

Durham