Like many adolescents growing up in Bath, I was privileged to receive the gift of an impressive public education. Blessed with strong teachers, a caring community and good rolemodels, my experiences helped shape a lifetime desire to learn.

Also like many adolescents, I failed to understand how lucky I was.

The Bath school system, and Morse High School in particular, gave something to its graduates that I would only later appreciate: an enormous sense of pride in my school and community. Having recently returned to Morse to celebrate the graduation of the class of 2013, that pride returned in spades upon walking in the front door.

That pride could not mask, however, a weary looking physical plant. Remarkably unchanged since the late 70s, the building clearly needed basic improvements. It was no surprise that Regional School Unit 1 leaders from throughout the district have asked the region’s citizens to support basic, but highly necessary, upgrades.

These requests are by no means extravagant. Improved ventilation systems, renovation of science labs, new flooring and basic equipment are the main targets of this muchneeded renovation. In addition, soon to retire debt from past projects make this request fiscally sustainable and reasonable.

My years as chairman of the Legislature’s Education Committee remind me that state aid for a larger renovation or rebuilding is fragile. Our position on the wait-list is well behind many worthy projects from other districts, and state finances are fickle.

Let us continue to extend the pride of the Bath region to our schools. Please support these basic improvements on behalf of our students.

GLENN CUMMINGS, president and executive directorof the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley, served as Speaker of the Maine House from 2006-2008 and deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education. He is a 1979 graduate of Morse High School.