Residents to RSU 21 board: Cut costs, close schools

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20140226-NEWS-140229792

By Jennifer Feals
jfeals@seacoastonline.com
February 26, 2014 4:08 PM

KENNEBUNK — Cut costs, eliminate a standalone performing arts center and turf field at Kennebunk High School, and explore school configuration.

These were the sentiments of some residents who spoke during a public forum held Tuesday night by the RSU 21 Board of Directors, the first since a $75 million plan to renovate Kennebunk High School, Mildred L. Day School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School failed by a 2-to-1 margin on Jan. 21. While the district’s Board of Directors and Facilities Committee have met since the January referendum and have begun discussing how to move forward, this was the first meeting focused on public input.

“I think most people understood a ‘yes’ vote, but there were many, many reasons people voted ‘no’ and it’s important to get an understanding of what some of those ‘no’ votes were about,” said Kennebunk resident Rachel Phipps Costin.

More than 50 residents of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel as well as town officials attended the forum held at Kennebunk Elementary School on Tuesday night. Among the public input was a desire to see the cost to renovate the facilities drop by $15 million to $25 million, the possibility of bringing each building project to the voters separately, even putting forward separate warrant articles on portions of the project like athletic improvements, and proposals for exploring school configuration.

For some, the $75 million price tag was just too high.

“I am a graduate of KHS and I think we need a new high school. That being said, I think we need to be concerned about the dollar value and I think that’s one of the main reasons that the voters voted this down,” said Kennebunk Selectman Dave Spofford. “It was just too large a number.”

Arundel resident Jack Reetz, a former board member who serves on the RSU’s Facilities Committee, feels the $75 million price is “just right.”

“The costs are real. By the same token, nobody wants increased taxes but there’s no free lunch and if we’re going to do it and if we’re going to do it right, then it’s going to be in that order of magnitude,” Reetz said. “I would suggest let’s do it once and let’s do it right. It doesn’t make much sense to cut back.”

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