BATH

Regional School Unit 1 will reach out to its five member communities this autumn to see what they think of an estimated $5.7 million bond package to make repairs — repairs that have been put off for years — at its six schools.

The goal, if the public response is positive, is to go to referendum in November. Members of the RSU 1 Board of Directors, though, expressed differences of opinion on the matter Monday night.

Four of the six school board members at the meeting said they support the renovations — or at least the majority of them. Two, including Chairman Tim Harkins, opposed hitting taxpayers with a bond package on the heels of last year’s budget increase of more than 6 percent.

Harkins said that an $850,000 installment of a bond payment, on top of $800,000 in projected automatic increases to the 2014-15 budget, could mean an increase of more than 9 percent in the local contribution.

“We kind of went out on a line last year to the public,” Harkins said. “From my standpoint, I can’t support it, but I can support bringing it to the community.”

The renovation plan is front-loaded with what William Perkins called “bigticket items, and real needs.”

Perkins, chairman of the Facilities Committee, and Finance Committee Chairman Stephen August headed up a subcommittee that has studied facilities needs all year. Working with Dave Richards, the RSU 1 facilities director, they identified the need for critical heating, roofing, plumbing and electrical repairs — many of them at Morse High School, where there are dangling electrical cords and a rickety stairway.

In total, the subcommittee identified 27 needs at Morse High School, the connected Career Center and at Bath Middle School. Some 14 jobs are targeted at the elementary schools.

David Barber strongly advised putting forth the package. Barber said it is time to “face reality,” and stop putting off the projects.

“These are shutdown issues, and safety is at the top of the list,” Barber said.

Kyle Walton acknowledged that the cost might represent a “bitter pill,” but advised against “kicking the can down the road.”

“These things are critical,” Walton said. “It’s a big gamble if we cut some of these items. Some of these things are going to close the schools down if they don’t function. It’s going to be ‘pay now, or pay later.’”

August and Perkins allowed that some items might be pared from the list, but the majority are, indeed, critical needs.

“Let’s get feedback from the community,” Perkins said. “But items like the Morse heating system must be done. We kick them down the road again, we’re looking at a major problem.”

Harkins argued that “chipping away” at the list would be a disservice to the subcommittee. He suggested getting community officials into the buildings and getting them involved.

“Then turn it over to the public,” Harkins said. “This list has already been beaten up and narrowed down.”

The repairs at the elementary schools would address a five-year window, the subcommittee determined. Needs at Morse, a portion of which was built in 1928, would be met for a 10-year period.

Perkins noted that RSU 1 is on the waiting list for a new state-funded high school, but not near the top of that list. The best “guesstimate,” he said, is that the state might address the school unit’s need for a new high school in 10 years.

The subcommittee estimated renovation costs at Morse, the Career Center and Bath Middle School at $4.6 million and at the elementary schools at slightly more than $1 million.

lgrard@timesrecord.com

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu