School space crunch forces towns to act
The need for a new four-room modular building and two additional teachers for the Perry Elementary School and the cost of funding such a project were discussed at an informational meeting held October 18 at the Perry school.
The need for a new four-room modular building and two additional teachers for the Perry Elementary School and the cost of funding such a project were discussed at an informational meeting held October 18 at the Perry school. Perry selectmen are expected to set a date soon for a referendum vote on the matter. If voters approve the project, a contract would most likely be awarded to Triumph, the lowest bidder for the construction of a new four-classroom, two-bathroom modular. The structure would be attached to the school by a covered walkway and would replace the current modular that lacks water and bathrooms.
Union 104 Superintendent Arthur Wittine and Perry Elementary School Principal Arlo Smith said in a six-year period the enrollment at the Perry school has grown from 96 students to the current enrollment of 127 students. This represents an increase in enrollment of 32%, and during this same period no new teachers were hired. The increase in students goes against all the trends, noted Wittine. He said, "There are seven houses being built in Perry. I don't see it getting less. People are moving into Perry." Both Wittine and Smith described the overcrowding in classrooms as a crisis situation. "If we don't get some space and help, you are going to see a decline in quality of education," commented Smith. "We have a dedicated staff, and they need help, and they need it fast," stated Smith.
Perry now has the largest elementary school enrollment in Union 104, surpassing Eastport, Pembroke and Charlotte.
In August of this year, the final 2004-05 school year budget showed additional net revenue over expenses of $97,610. The superintendent has recommended that this amount be carried forward and placed in a dedicated building development fund line. This money will be used to offset the purchase price of a new modular classroom building, if approved by a referendum vote.
In August, the Perry School Committee also authorized the superintendent to obtain bids on a modular building. The state also said they would extend the current lease reimbursement ($15,232) for one year while a search for a replacement modular building was conducted. In addition, the state would continue to participate for up to 10 years in offsetting the purchase price of a new modular classroom building by $15,232 per year.
In October, in response to a request for bids, four bids were received with bids ranging from $400,000 to $700,000. Triumph's $400,000 bid included a rubber roof on the modular building. After discussion of the rubber roof, it was the general consensus of those present at the meeting that rubber roofs would not be satisfactory to Perry taxpayers. Wittine said that he had obtained reports from several schools with rubber roofs stating that if the roofs were properly constructed and sealed and people were not using shovels or other equipment on the roof, there was no problem. Wittine said Triumph would construct a pitched roof in place of a rubber roof for an additional $24,500.
If Triumph is the selected bidder, the contract would be awarded in the spring. Site work would be done in the summer and the building put in place in late summer with occupancy in the fall.
Wittine provided numbers from the Maine Bond Bank based on the $400,000 Triumph bid (rubber roof). Based on the $400,000 bid and the $98,000 additional balance carried forward from the 2004-05 school year budget and the $15,000 lease reimbursement, the balance to be financed would be $287,000 over a period of seven years. The payment per year would be $47,300, and state reimbursement per year for seven years would be $15,000. The actual cost to Perry taxpayers per year would be $32,300 or a little over one-half mill. The additional $24,500 cost for the pitched roof with asphalt shingles would need to be added to the $287,000 figure.
A suggestion made by a Perry resident was to add on to the existing building. Wittine pointed out that, if the modular was attached to the existing building, the state would require the installation of a sprinkler system for the school. A modular attached by a breezeway would not require the installation of a sprinkler system. In response to a suggestion that a stick built addition to the school be considered, Perry Selectman John Spinney said such a building would require the employment of an architect and other professionals. Another suggestion was to drop the K4 program offered at the school. Wittine pointed out from a financial angle that $60,000 would be lost out of the Perry school subsidy. From an educational view point, Wittine says results show that the K4 program is beneficial to students as they progress in school. Another Perry resident suggested exploring the creation of a junior high school for the Union 104 area. Such an arrangement would take several years to accomplish and also would result in loss of subsidies. Smith and Wittine point out that the crisis is now.