SACO — Residents will not be voting whether to approve funds to build a new Young School in November, putting the timeline for construction on hold indefinitely.

On Monday night, the City Council voted 4-2 to rescind its Sept. 6 decision to put a question on the November ballot that would have asked voters to allow the city to borrow up to $21.5 million for school construction and renovation, the majority of which would have been used to build a new Young School.

Councilors Eric Cote and Kevin Roche voted against rescinding the question. Councilor David Precourt was absent.

Young School, which serves students from kindergarten through second grade and is located on the corner of North and Tasker streets, was constructed in 2004 as a short-term replacement when the previous school was torn down due to mold infestation. Many school officials say the modular building is in need of replacement.

The rest of the $21.5 million, if approved by voters, would have been used to make renovations to the city’s other K-2 school – Gov. Fairfield School, 75 Beach St.

The change of heart for councilors voting to appeal the previous decision was due to news last week that the state was, for the first time in six years, opening a new application cycle for state funding for major school construction projects.

According to a statement from the Maine Department of Education released on Friday, applications will be available Oct. 15. The complete process for the state to review and prioritize applications and recommend funding projects is expected to take about two years.

City Clerk Michele Hughes said she had not signed off to get the local ballot printed yet, and estimated that the city, at most, had spent about $500 on costs related to the November ballot question.

Councilor Nathan Johnston said that previously, officials did not think the state funding application process would open up. But now there is another possible option rather than funding the schools through local property taxes, he said.

“To not even try, I think, is grossly short-sighted,” he said.

Johnston said he didn’t think Young School was in such dire straits that it was unsafe. The city might not get approved for state funding, he said, but he couldn’t in good conscious look in the eyes of elderly constituents who were having difficulty paying taxes if he didn’t try.

Roche, who favored putting the bond question on the ballot, said the City Council should let the voters make an informed decision in November, like they did a few years ago when they voted to withdraw from the regional school unit.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.