I urge all voters in Regional School Unit 21 to reject the school renovation proposal. This is a lavish and flawed proposal in many ways, more than space allows to detail.
First, let me state that I am not against school funding in general. In fact, I work for an RSU. What I object to is the rationale, or lack thereof, that went into the formulation of this proposal. Do we need a sports turf field? Do we need a performing arts center? Should we be spending huge amounts of money to repair/reconstruct these buildings when entirely new structures could be built for similar or less costs?
Do we need two separate elementary schools while we close a perfectly good building at Sea Road? All these buildings have serious issues. To use the vernacular, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.
Furthermore, the school board has shown utter disdain and disregard for the voters by scheduling this referendum at an inconvenient time of the year, one which suits only their agenda. The town clerks and boards of selectmen in all three towns, as well as many citizens, called for them not to hold a vote as important as this at this time of the year. A delay of a few months would not have impacted the overall cost significantly ”“ ask any contractor. If delays were so important and costly, perhaps they shouldn’t have taken three years to come up with this Taj Mahal pipedream.
We were also led to believe that the cost was going to be $74.8 million. Then, in the mail, we receive a piece of propaganda from the school board that tells us of Article 2, which asks for another $1.8 million (30 percent of which is a grant), to be used ONLY as the school board wishes. This may be interest-free, but it still needs to be repaid. Very well kept secret. So now the total is $76.1 million.
I know something needs to be done and I would support a logical, financially feasible plan ”“ a plan that won’t bankrupt taxpayers. A “no” vote would simply send this back to the school board with a mandate to better guard our valuable tax dollars.
Please vote for common sense: Vote “no.”
– C. Wayne Cutting, Kennebunk
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