There are no easy answers regarding which direction RSU 50 should explore in regard to the recent Ames Associates building condition assessments.
At a Feb. 4 special meeting, the RSU 50 board learned there were a number of issues with its school buildings. Leading the list of critical issues is the need for a new roof on Southern Aroostook Community School in Dyer Brook.
RSU 50 is a consolidated school district made up of the Southern Aroostook and Katahdin school systems. If the board were to do everything recommended by the architects, it would cost the district nearly $9.1 million based on today’s estimate.
At a Feb. 9 board meeting, directors heard from many concerned citizens interested in the fate of their district. Some residents fear the potential closing of schools in their communities in favor of a new centralized 7-12 school, while others worry about the tax burden to do all the lengthy items needing repair to keep all schools open.
“After reviewing the task force/facilitators’ report and doing a lot of research on the whole process of consolidation, we have — I am speaking for the towns of Sherman, Moro and Stacyville — we have all contacted Augusta and we are in the process of getting petitions going to withdraw from the RSU 50,” said Dannette Moody-Kay of Patten.
Her husband, David, of Patten added, “Thanks for the Ames report and reviewing the critical issues, Southern Aroostook is in the worse condition than these two schools. So the idea of ever going over there is totally off the table in my opinion. You got it right down in black and white, it is over $1.2 million in critical deficiencies over there. And over here (Stacyville) is probably less than $400,000.”
He mentioned that a “good option” would be having the Southern Aroostook students come to Katahdin Elementary and Katahdin High schools.
“But, if you want to go by economics, you could tuition Oakfield and Dyer Brook over to Houlton and tuition Island Falls and Crystal over this way,” Kay added.
“I was not discouraged with the facilities report,” Louise Guptill said. “I thought they did a good job. I felt it opened our eyes that we need to be more cautious how we proceed from now on. The voters are pretty much binding together now, so I think the board needs to consider how the people are feeling.”
Kerry McNally inquired as to the size of the school population and space within the schools.
“My understanding is that the building [Katahdin High School] was built to house 400 students,” said RSU 50 Superintendent Larry Malone. “Southern Aroostook has the capacity to hold around 800. The current RSU enrollment is around 720 students.”
Katahdin Elementary enrollment is 196 and Katahdin High School is 167. Southern Aroostook Elementary enrolls 208 and its middle and high school, 151 students.
“In this building, every room is being used right now,” said Katahdin Elementary School Principal Christine Cunningham.
“Katahdin Elementary is the most utilized, efficient building for space and students,” Malone added.
Between Katahdin High and Southern Aroostook Community schools, many classrooms have been converted to storage or meeting rooms since they aren’t used for regular classroom instruction.
“You have more square footage than students to fill it,” Malone explained.
“What are you going to do with [storage etc…] when you put the students in one building?” McNally asked. “You are talking about shutting down a school or schools over here. This one [Katahdin Elementary] you just told me was full to capacity and that one is lacking five rooms of being full and you are going to shut it down and move them over here or vice versa?”
Malone noted that there was parity on both sides of the RSU when it comes to student/space ratio.
“From my perspective, there are two things on the table,” Malone explained. “One is your ability to afford it and then what you want to maintain for educational opportunities. Because the biggest part of your budget comes down to facilities and personnel.”
McNally noted there was more to [the decision] than money per child.
“I don’t know how people feel about it in Southern Aroostook, but when you lose your schools, your own personal identity, you are selling your town short,” he said.
McNally said he could not understand how smaller towns than Patten, Island Falls or Oakfield could have such nice schools and the RSU 50 to be in such a bind.
“We don’t have any taxpayers,” said RSU 50 Vice Chairman Phil Knowles. When businesses were viable, Knowles said, “those businesses paid the lion’s share of your property taxes. Now, they are not here. It isn’t that we have this great big desire to close a school and move everyone to one side of the district or the other.”
The fact remains that the state is funding less and asking the towns to generate more money.
But, McNally said, “You can’t put everything on the dollar.”
“I can on the referendum vote,” Knowles said.
RSU 50 chairman Greg Ryan of Island Falls added, “We have already been informed by towns that if we don’t do something different, they are not going to back our school system and I am not talking about this side of the district (Katahdin) either.”
“So, at least the way I am hearing it, is that our enrollment is going down so our need for room is going down? So, it might be easier to have one big building so we will build a school? Are you allowing for how many it [the population] is going down or 10 years from now, instead of having 200 over there, are we going to have 150? Then are we going to build a smaller school? Where does it all start and stop?,” McNally inquired.
Building a new centralized 7-12 grade school is among the options. Malone, Ryan, Knowles and Dale Pratt, facilities director, will travel to Augusta to meet with Scott Brown of the Department of Education.
“We are going to talk about the realistic opportunity for you down the road,” Malone said.
The last report shows 70-plus schools waiting on a list for funding a proposed new school.
“Funding is granted on a need for space, which you don’t have a need for, but it is an option some people want to hear answers to,” said Malone.
Malone will also be looking into a revolving renovation loan and a bond to present to the voters to help with addressing the critical issues of buildings within the district.
Knowles said the idea of putting kids on one side of the district or the other does not address the shortfall of state funding.
“I do believe things will change because we are not going to sit back and let someone else make decisions for us anymore,” said Kim Lane.
“That being said, these are not new problems with the infrastructure of the schools and the problems that need to be fixed,” said Moody-Kay. “But starve it for another two or three years, more problems and more problems add up. You know at some point we are going to have to make a decision to put some money into fixing these.
“The budget will have to pass somewhere. People are getting more involved now out of fear. People are scared. We are scared for our children’s future. We are scared for our faculty. We want to stay here and I am sure Southern Aroostook wants to stay over there. Putting $50 million-plus into a new building that may not even house enough children 10 to 15 years from now — whenever the building is built — makes absolutely no sense to me. It is time we are involved and a lot of people are getting involved.”
Other factors to consider brought up by the public at the meeting were additional times spent by students on buses and the struggling economy of the area.
One mother voiced her concerns and stated she did not want her children that far away and moving might be her ultimate choice.
“I can’t be the only person who would leave,” she said. “My children come first. I can’t be the only parent who thinks that way.”
