WINSLOW — The School Board voted 5-0 Monday evening to formally give their approval of the new $8.1 million budget passed by the Town Council last month.
School administrators and school board members were forced to alter the $8.6 million plan that the building committee had originally drafted, which would close the junior high and renovate the elementary and high schools to accommodate the displaced students, when the Town Council voted to shave off $565,000 from the project’s budget.
The board voted to hold a public forum over the bond at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, at the Winslow High School auditorium.
Board members and administrators commended the group that came together earlier in the month to alter the renovation plan to fit the $8.1 million figure the council approved to send to voters.
Board member John Ferry said it was one of the best meetings he’s attended in a while in terms of the discussion and debate.
“Different solutions would be thrown out and discussed as to why or why not they would work, and I thought it was a very strong process,” Ferry said. “I want to commend all the work that was done there, and I was very impressed by the results.”
Superintendent Eric Haley said that he asked Town Manager Mike Heavener to calculate the difference between the average annual payments of the $8.1 million bond — which the council approved but passed a resolution that it ought not to pass in June — and the proposed $7.83 million figure that the council told the building committee to aim toward in their planning.
Haley said the difference in annual average payments would be a little more than $16,000.
Additionally, Haley said that yearly average increase in maintenance expenses at the junior high is also about $16,000.
“To me, that’s a no brainer,” Haley said.
Board chair Joel Selwood echoed Haley, saying the median homeowner would pay just $3.78 more a year in property taxes for the $8.1 million than they would for the $7.83 million figure.
“It’s beyond me that it’s an ought not to pass,” Selwood said, referring to the council’s resolution.
Monday’s vote followed the building committee’s endorsement of the plan, which the committee voted 19-0 in favor of last week.
The school would still have nearly the same footprint as originally designed, but it would be without the bells and whistles.
Every piece of the project would be slightly scaled back, but the money budgeted for new construction of the seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms and support spaces, which makes up $4,108,000 of the project, as well as the $477,000 in sitework for both the elementary and high schools, would not be touched.
The auditorium would lose 180 square feet as well as 15 seats, for a total of 415 seats in the theater. Technology and furnishings to equip the theater have been reduced by $50,000 in the new plan.
The auxiliary gymnasium still would be expanded to a full-court gymnasium, but would be reduced by 550 square feet.
The cafeteria expansion also would be reduced, but only slightly, in order to accommodate a smaller freezer that still has the same storage capacity. Funds for kitchen equipment have been decreased by $70,000.
Money for furnishing and technology have been reduced by $50,000 to $330,000 in the bond. Furniture being used at the junior high would fill in to furnish the school. Likewise, the schools would delay replacing some of the technology.
Additionally, the renovations to both schools would be reduced in scope by 10 percent.
The polls will be open for the school renovation bond from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 12 at Winslow VFW Banquet and Conference Center on 175 Veteran Drive.
In other business, the board voted to approve a three-year interlocal agreement to contract services with Vassalboro and Waterville.
Although Vassalboro, Waterville and Winslow voters decided to dissolve Alternative Organizational Structure 92 at a special referendum in March, the three communities have decided to continue to lean on one another financially by contracting servies with each other.
Incoming Winslow Superintendent Peter Thiboutot said the two positions left to fill for the new office would be a book keeper and a curiculum director. The school system would receive revenue from the other two communities for those positions.
Emily Higginbotham — 861-9239
ehigginbotham@centralmaine.com
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