In Scarborough, the Nov. 4 election will feature two referendum questions, both regarding school overhauls fraught with years of deliberation.

Scarborough is one of many towns across the state burdened with aging school infrastructure and the expensive task of updating it.

In 2023, voters rejected a $160 million school project that would have consolidated three primary schools and all third graders into one building, moved sixth graders to Wentworth School and renovated Scarborough Middle School.

In the wake of this vote, the School Building Advisory Committee, a coalition of about 50 community members formed under the direction of Town Council and the school board, spent nearly 18 months exploring options to address infrastructure needs and cost concerns.

Ultimately, the committee proposed a neighborhood schools model that would involve the replacement of Eight Corners on the existing site as well as renovations and additions at the other primary schools, Wentworth and the middle school. If approved, the town’s primary schools and middle school will be brought to capacity.

The school board and Town Council signed off on the project, putting it on the ballot. Early voting started Monday.

The town will be hosting a community meeting at the Scarborough Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m., a community forum at Eight Corners Primary School on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. and a community forum at Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. All of these meetings are opportunities for residents to learn more about the project, ask questions and hear from those involved in the planning process.

The Press Herald asked school board Chair Shannon Lindstrom some of the questions you might be wondering about the project before you go to the polls.

What exactly is on the ballot?

Two questions will appear before residents.

The first, if approved, would allow the town to borrow $129.85 million to demolish and rebuild Eight Corners School, as well as add one-story additions to Blue Point and Pleasant Hill schools to replace portable classrooms. The project would also include $3.6 million in additions to Wentworth and $28.65 million in improvements to the middle school, enough to meet capacity needs for current enrollment.

The second question, which can only pass if the first question passes, would authorize $10 million to build a second story on the addition to Scarborough Middle School to accommodate the expected growth.

Why are there two questions?

To the School Building Advisory Committee, it was important to keep costs as low as possible while meeting the district’s immediate needs. Based on community forums, surveys and conversations, the committee determined that $130 million was the price ceiling for the project, based on a 2024 community survey. Question 1 meets the needs for the known student population growth based on the number of children who have already been born and are expected to move into the district.

At the same time, 63% of the respondents to the most recent community survey either opposed or strongly opposed the deferment of renovations to Wentworth and the middle school. The second question provides voters with the opportunity to vote for more improvements to the middle school.

Why is this project needed?

The three K-2 primary schools were built nearly 75 years ago, and they have been operating over capacity for years, with temporary classrooms in daily use for 20 years. The building lifespan for new construction is typically 60 years.

“Education was different in those times,” Lindstrom said. “The buildings just aren’t suitable for these needs.” The state now requires kindergarten classrooms to be 1,000 square feet, and Scarborough classrooms are not that large.

Without adequate classroom space, schools have to be creative with their spaces. At Blue Point, for example, the cafeteria also serves as a gym.

And Scarborough’s student enrollment is projected to grow. By the 2028-2029 school year, the town expects an increase of 200 students in primary schools.

“We have to have a place to put them and to educate them, and we are just simply out of room,” Lindstrom said.

The project would meet capacity needs for the town, replace 30 portables with permanent classrooms, involve the construction of dedicated spaced for state-mandated programming like intervention and special education, as well as adequate spaces for art and music programs, and support safety upgrades.

How much will my taxes increase to pay for this project?

Based on a $600,000 median home value, Question 1 — the $129.85 million project — would cost the median taxpayer an average of $386 per year for the lifetime of the bond. For the second question, based on the same parameters, it would cost $30 per year for the lifetime of the bond.

Are there any alternative funding options?

The town of Scarborough submitted the three K-2 schools and the middle school to the Maine Department of Education’s most recent cycle for state funding. Of the 95 schools across the state that submitted applications, Eight Corners was ranked 34th, Pleasant Hill was ranked 39th, Blue Point was ranked 59th and the middle school was ranked 60th.

The state historically allocates funding to schools ranked in the top 10, meaning it is unlikely that Scarborough schools would receive state funding in the near future.

When would the construction be complete?

If approved, construction at the three primary schools is anticipated to be completed in time for the 2029-2030 school year. The new Eight Corners school will be constructed in two phases. The existing school will remain open during the construction.

Once one side of the new building is completed, enough to house the current student population, construction will begin on the other side of the school. Each phase is estimated to take between a year and a year and a half. The site will remain secure and the department will try to mitigate educational disruption. Students will retain access to spaces like a cafeteria throughout the process.

For Pleasant Hill and Blue Point schools, the construction will happen in stages and construction activity will be separated from the building occupants.

The construction at the middle school could take between one and two years depending on the outcome of the vote and which renovations are approved.

What happens if the referendum fails?

If the referendum fails, the school board has asked the superintendent to create a plan to address the estimated enrollment increase, according to Lindstrom.

Lindstrom said there is no space at the schools to add more portables, so the district would have to “do some innovative thinking.”