CARIBOU, Maine — With a vote of 124 to 7, it is clear that the Caribou, Limestone, and Stockholm residents who attended the Jan. 12, 2016 straw poll at the Caribou Performing Arts Center are in favor of a new elementary school at Teague Park.
Initially, many sites were considered for the new preK-8 school, but after a number of tests conducted by PDT Architects in Portland, it was determined that Teague Park was the best location for the new facility. The architects developed a site selection matrix, which analyzes a number of factors associated with the land.
This matrix includes 29 separate lines, each of which contribute to the overall score of a particular area. Factors include the availability of a public sewer, public water, and three-phase electric as well as the site’s proximity to public services like the police and fire department. The building committee helped formulate a scorecard, but the scoring was done by an outside source to prevent any bias in the ratings.
The highest score a site could possibly receive is 330 points, and it was ultimately determined that Teague Park, with 257 points, was the best location. Other considered sites (in order of their score) were: Hilltop School, 202 points; high school, 171; Lombard Road, 167; Van Buren Road, 158; and South Main St., 139.
Moving forward, PDT Architects plan on beginning designs for the new school as soon as possible.
Keck concluded by addressing the issue of local tax impact, which is a possibility. However, area voters could also decide not to add anything to the project that would go beyond what the Maine Department of Education is promising to pay, resulting in no additional taxes.
“People are obviously worried about taxes,” said Keck. “They’re wondering if you made more space than the state was willing to pay for. A lot of communities decide to put some of their own money into a school, but some do not. If this project had another million dollars in it, and please understand that I am not advocating for this. I am not advocating for a bigger building with local tax dollars, but the community needs this information. You are getting a new school building that will be here for 60 or 70 years. This is an investment in your community.”
Keck reported that RSU 39 Business Manager Mark Bouchard calculated the tax impact of a $1 million addition to the project for residents owning property worth $100,000. Stockholm residents would pay an additional $16.58 in taxes per year. Limestone residents would pay $19.18, and Caribou residents would pay $8.89.
