ARUNDEL — With a vote looming in January to determine whether Regional School Unit 21 undertakes a $75 million renovation of several of its schools, educators and town officials in Arundel, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport are making a push to provide the public with as much information as possible.

It’s with this in mind that district representatives will hold a facilities tour of the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel on Monday at 6 p.m., to be followed at 7 p.m. by a public hearing on the current state of the renovation plans.

The proposed plan calls for major updates to Mildred L. Day School, Kennebunk High School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School. In the case of Mildred L. Day School, the primary focus would be on the replacement of the C and D wings. Built on unstable soil, those areas have experienced settling of about 1/2 inch per year, which has affected the structural integrity of the roof. Tim Hussey, chairman of the RSU’s Facilities Committee, said during a public hearing in October that new floor plans for the school would allow for a building that has greater security, proper vehicle and pedestrian flow, a full-sized gymnasium, larger classrooms, and a multi-purpose space for both school and public use.

The proposal for all three schools, which would be renovated concurrently, was crafted by the district and by Auburn-based Harriman Architects  and Engineers.

Aided by a 20-year bond, the project would herald an increase in taxes. Broken down by region, Kennebunk residents would see an increase of $13.86 per month (or $166 per year) based on $100,000 of assessed property value at current valuations; Kennebunkport citizens would pay an extra $12.17 per month ($146 per year); and Arundel voters would experience an increase of $13.53 per month ($162 per year).

This past Tuesday, at a meeting of Kennebunk’s Board of Selectmen, selectmen agreed to send out informational letters to citizens regarding the vote, prior to next months’ rollout of absentee ballots. Despite the tax increases, the plan has so far garnered mostly positive, if cautious, support from those residents who have voiced their opinions in public spheres.

“I’ve yet to hear from someone who’s against renovation,” said resident Lionel Menard, at the meeting, “(although) they want more information on renovation expenses.”

Still, the plan has drawn criticism from some town officials, including Kennebunk Selectman Richard Morin, who worried about the effect on younger taxpayers.

“It’s the younger families who can’t live under an oppressive tax system,” he said on Tuesday.

Across the three affected schools, the biggest deficiencies, according to Hussey, were at KHS, which represents about $53 million of the total cost.

The plan, as it currently stands, would fully renovate the high school, creating classrooms of a more appropriate size for the student population (just shy of 700 students), an updated and more publicly-accessible library that could double as public meeting space, a spacious cafeteria, and safe indoor and outdoor athletic facilities outfitted with artificial turf, which district superintendent Andrew Dolloff said last month would represent a long-term savings in field maintenance costs.

In addition, the renovation project calls for the creation of a stand-alone visual and performing arts facility, which Dolloff said would result in greater community access and use of an attractive performance space. Currently, he said, students involved in the arts ”“ particularly the school band, which has to rehearse in shifts due to a lack of space in the building’s current music room ”“ would have a greater opportunity for learning.

The arts center would also allow for possible future expansion. While the current proposed project would ensure the creation of the core arts center, a larger vision ”“ currently titled the Southern Maine Center for the Visual and Performing Arts ”“ would build on that base infrastructure. The as-yet hypothetical Center would be privately funded through personal and corporate donations, and operating costs would be handled by an endowment, with no expected additional increase in taxes. With a fundraising goal of $20 million, Hussey said the expanded arts center would actually knock about $5 million off the overall cost of the renovation project, lowering the high school’s cost to about $48 million.

When the issue is presented to citizens, voters will be deciding on the three buildings’ renovation costs with only the core arts space for the high school. The expanded arts center would come later, and build on the smaller venue’s footprint.

Meanwhile, Kennebunkport Consolidated School would be structurally updated to provide handicapped accessibility, thereby bringing it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new design would increase energy efficiency by incorporating better insulation, lighting, heating, and electrical systems. Plans also include a rebuilding of the gymnasium with a full-sized basketball court, and a new music room located adjacent to the stage.

Monday’s public hearing will be held at Mildred L. Day School at 7 p.m.

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 319 or jlagasse@journaltribune.com.