CARIBOU, Maine — For over a year, RSU 39 has been planning to place a new preK-8 school in Caribou, on a lot now occupied by Teague Park. The project, in total, would cost about $48 million, with $45 million coming from the State Department of Education.
Since the RSU also includes Limestone and Stockholm, school district leaders plan to hold a meeting in each town, with the first being at the Caribou Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, the second in Limestone at the school auditorium on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and the third meeting taking place in the Stockholm Community Center on Wednesday, Jan. 25. All meetings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and the RSU is welcoming any comments or questions about the multi-million dollar project.
If the voters ultimately approve the new project during the Tuesday, Feb. 7 referendum, the state will pay for the demolition of Teague Park School, Caribou Middle School, and the Learning Center. Hilltop Elementary, on the other hand, will go back into the city’s hands, at which point a third party company will repurpose the building into a senior living center.
According to Superintendent Tim Doak, the existing schools will likely shut down regardless of the vote.
“We talked about closing Hilltop, before discussing the new school, as a means of keeping taxes at bay,” Doak said. “Whenever there’s a huge increase, towns will vote it down. We’ve seen that happen in a number of towns and are trying to avoid that, but at the same time, we’re trying to build a budget that keeps the students in mind.”
If voters reject the new school, Doak says “the game would be over for Caribou, and the ($45 million) would go to another town.”
The Feb. 7 referendum will pose two questions, the first being for the base project, which includes $175,149 of local contributions and $45,464,963 from the State of Maine. The second question will ask for expanded gym and music room space. If accepted, these additions will cost taxpayers an additional $2,502,423.
To minimize the potential tax burden, community members Sam Collins and Ron Willey are leading a fund-raising effort called “Friends of Caribou Schools.” According to the Superintendent, the group has already raised over $350,000.
“The (fundraising) shows that the business community is behind the project and wants a new school here,” Doak said. “Land is also being donated to Caribou to offset the Teague Park land swap agreement, which means there will be a new park in the community.”
