The Results by Article

Article 1:

Do you favor authorizing the board of directors of Regional School Units No. 21 (the “RSU”) to issue bonds or notes in the name of the RSU for school construction and minor capital projects in an amount not to exceed Seventy-Four Million Eight Hundred Thirty Thousand Seven Hundred Eleven Dollars ($74,830,711) to renovate, equip, and construct additions and/or new school facilities at the following:

1. Mildred L. Day School located on the existing school lot on the Old Limerick Road Arundel;
   
2. Kennebunkport Consolidated School located on the existing school lot on School Street in Kennebunkport; and
3. Kennebunk High School located on the existing school lot on Fletcher Street in Kennebunk?

Article 2:

Do you favor authorizing the board of directors of Regional School Units No. 21 (the “RSU”) to issue bonds and other evidences of indebtedness in the name of the RSU in an amount not to exceed $1,799,421 through the State of Maine’s zero interest rate/loan forgiving Revolving Renovations Fund Program for Priority 1 Health, Safety and Compliance repairs and improvements at Kennebunk High School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School and the Mildred L Day School (“the projects”)?

A. Zero Interest/Loan Forgiveness Program: The Maine Department of Education has approved RSU loans in the amount of $1,799,421 through the State’s zero interest rate/loan forgiveness School Renovation Fund Program for the Project.

B. Loan Forgiveness: The Maine Department of Education has authorized the forgiveness of approximately 30.0% (up to an estimated $539,826) of the total loan amount.

C. Interest Free Loan: The RSU will be obligated to repay approximately 70.0% (up to an estimated $1,259,595) of the total approved loan amount over a ten-year term. The loan program provides for repayment at a zero interest.

RSU 21 residents reject $75 million school renovation bond

It represents the largest borrowing package ever put before voters in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel.

By Gillian Graham ggraham@pressherald.com
Staff Writer 

http://www.pressherald.com/news/RSU_voters_head_to_polls_to_vote_on__75_million_in_school_renovations_.html

KENNEBUNK - Residents of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel on Tuesday soundly rejected the largest borrowing package ever put before voters of the three towns.

The proposed $75 million bond to pay for renovations at three Regional School Unit 21 schools is believed to be the largest school bond ever proposed in the state, according to the Maine Department of Education. It would have paid for renovations at Kennebunk High School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School and Mildred L. Day School in Arundel.

Voters across the 4-year-old district rejected the bond by a 2-1 margin, with a total of 4,870 votes against and 2,110 votes in favor of the renovation projects.

The bond was rejected by a nearly 3-1 margin in Kennebunk, the largest town in the district, with 1,303 votes in favor and 3,118 votes against the plan. In Kennebunkport, the bond failed by a vote of 582 to 1,024. In Arundel, there were 225 votes in favor of the bond and 728 against it.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014 residents will be asked to VOTE

Please note that on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 residents will be asked to vote on the $74.8 million construction renovation projects proposed by RSU # 21.  Polls will be open from 8 AM until 8 PM on this day at the Arundel Fire Station.  Each and every vote matters.  Please be involved.  For more information visit www.rsu21.net  

Absentee ballots for the January 21, 2014 RSU # 21 Construction Bond Referendum Election will be available from December 20, 2013 until January 15, 2014.  Please click on the link below to print an absentee ballot application in the event that you should need a ballot mailed to you.

Click here to view and print an absentee ballot application for the January 21, 2014 RSU # 21 construction bond referendum election.

Year in Review: A tumultuous year for RSU 21

By Jennifer Feals

jfeals@seacoastonline.com

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131226-NEWS-312260399

KENNEBUNK — It's been a busy year in RSU 21, with the culmination of planning work on the proposed renovation projects, exploration by another one of the towns on withdrawing from the district, and a new cost sharing formula.

After more than three years of working on plans to renovate Kennebunk High School, Mildred L. Day School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School, the RSU supported taking a $74.8 million plan to the voters. The referendum will be held on Jan. 21.

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Happy New Year 2014...ENJOY LIFE, FAMILY and FRIENDS!

Renovation impact deserves careful study

http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2013-12-20/Letter/Renovation_impact_deserves_careful_study.html

To the editor:

The ancient tale of the elephant and six blind men comes to mind when I read recent letters to the editor regarding the RSU 21 proposal of $74.8 million for renovations of the school systems of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel.

In that tale, the blind men are asked to determine what an elephant looks like. One blind man feels a leg and says the elephant is like a pillar; the other men say: the tail, it’s like a rope; the trunk, a tree branch; the ear, a hand fan; the belly, a wall; and finally, one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe. They all compare notes and learn that they are in complete disagreement.

The RSU 21 proposal is variously portrayed as: more than most in our communities can afford, a long overdue renovation of a shockingly unsafe high school with leaks everywhere, classrooms in a pre-tech condition in rundown buildings with no sprinkler systems and inadequate bathrooms. It is asserted that the nearly $75 million renovation would not be complete without expanded athletic fields and a costly new visual and performing arts center, all of which will reward business owners and homeowners, increase property values and bring an influx of businesses.

The impact of the complex financing requires careful study. The actual total amount to be paid with interest will be $113 million for a 25-year-bond period. Director Tim Hussey says he hopes that, “This financing strategy ... does make this easier to swallow for a lot of folks.” Director Diane Robbins disagrees, saying ultimately taxpayers end up paying more, including the interest and, “That only benefits the bank.” A Kennebunk selectman says, “It is probably the largest dollar amount ever voted on in this town.”

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RSU 21 Building Project Impact Calculator

RSU 21 Building Project Impact Calculator

http://www.rsu21.net/news/2013/11/14/please-vote-on-the-school-construction-referendum

On September 16, 2013, the RSU 21 Board heard proposals recommending significant upgrades to Kennebunk High School, Mildred L. Day School, and Kennebunkport Consolidated School.  The estimated costs of these projects are:

Mildred L. Day School:  $11.32M.

Kennebunkport Consolidated School:  $9.96M

Kennebunk High School:  $53.55M.

By entering data from your 2013 tax bill into the chart, below, you may determine the approximate total impact of these projects on your tax bill during each year of repayment of this 25 year bond.  This tax burden will decrease each year of the bond.

click here to see the effect on your taxes:

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Polls open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Absentee balloting will be available by contacting your town clerk’s office:
Arundel:  207-985-4201
Kennebunk:  207-985-2102, x-1326
Kennebunkport:  207-967-4243, x-110

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 residents will be asked to vote on the $74.8 million construction renovation projects proposed by RSU # 21

Absentee ballots for the January 21, 2014 RSU # 21 Construction Bond Referendum Election will be available from December 20, 2013 until January 15, 2014.  Please click on the link below to print an absentee ballot application in the event that you should need a ballot mailed to you.

Please note that on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 residents will be asked to vote on the $74.8 million construction renovation projects proposed by RSU # 21.  Polls will be open from 8 AM until 8 PM on this day at the Arundel Fire Station.  Each and every vote matters.  Please be involved.  For more information visit www.rsu21.net .

 

Click here to view and print an absentee ballot application for the January 21, 2014 RSU # 21 construction bond referendum election.

School improvements are much needed

http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2013-12-13/Letters/School_improvements_are_much_needed.html

To the editor:

As a former student of Kennebunk High School and a community activist in our towns, I support this renovation project in its entirety. Frankly, I do not see why we, as a community, do not support it wholeheartedly. I know there will be financial hardship incurred from increased property taxes; however, no investment has a better yield than this project. We, as a community, will invest our tax dollars in new facilities for our students and in return our students will succeed.

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Are residents ready for renovation vote?

http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2013-12-13/Letters/Are_residents_ready_for_renovation_vote.html

To the editor:

Are you folks in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel ready for that school renovation election on Jan. 21? Anybody with a lick of sense knows the vote count will be diminished due to snowbirds away for the winter, the difficulty for the elderly, shut-ins and the general public to get out due to frigid temperatures and icy roads and sidewalks.

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School vote puts citizens in peril

http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2013-12-13/Letters/School_vote_puts_citizens_in_peril.html

To the editor:

The citizens comprising RSU 21 have heard and read a great deal about the RSU 21 schools in peril and about the $75 million bond vote on Jan. 21 to save these schools.

What hasn’t been discussed publicly is the peril in which many voters find themselves financially. Senior citizens, for instance, live on fixed incomes and already budget every penny toward monthly mandatory expenses. Where will they get the additional tax money if the Jan. 21 vote passes? There no longer is a circuit breaker program, and, yes, many seniors depend upon that program.
In this economy, a number of citizens within the RSU 21 community are unemployed or underemployed.

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School renovation plan deserves support

http://post.mainelymediallc.com/news/2013-12-13/Letters/School_renovation_plan_deserves_support.html

To the editor:

Regional School Unit 21 has proposed an aggressive renovation plan for Kennebunk High School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School and Mildred L. Day School. The plan provides state-of-the-art facilities to all communities throughout the RSU and will provide a safe and appealing environment for learning.

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RSU costs out of line with others

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131219-OPINION-312190350

To the Editor:

The Bangor Daily News reported in March 2013, on the most expensive high schools in the state of Maine:

(1) Mt. Blue at a cost of $56,651,000, opened in 2013, capacity 925 students. Cost per student $61,200.

(2) Hampden at a cost of $49,200,000, opened in 2012, capacity 800 students. Cost per student $61,500.

These projects included the cost of land and its development

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Setting the record straight

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131219-OPINION-312190352?cid=sitesearch

To the Editor:

I am writing to help clear up a very unfortunate mistake made by the Kennebunkport Selectmen in their recent letter to Kennebunkport residents regarding the upcoming January 21st referendum on the RSU 21 school renovation proposal.

This communication contained inaccurate information on the costs associated with these projects. Specifically, the letter stated that the repayment of the bond would remain constant for 25 years and that increased operating costs of more than $400,000 per year were not included in the projected increase to taxes.

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Second, corrected letter to be sent to Port voters

By Jennifer Feals

jfeals@seacoastonline.com

December 19, 2013 2:00 AM

 

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131219-NEWS-312190336

KENNEBUNKPORT — The Board of Selectmen will be mailing a second letter to residents regarding the upcoming January vote on the proposed RSU 21 renovation projects, correcting inaccuracies in a letter sent out earlier this month.

An original letter dated Dec. 9 — which was mailed to residents to let voters know of the Jan. 21 vote on the proposed $74.8 million renovation projects to Kennebunk High School, Mildred L. Day School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School — included inaccuracies regarding the bond repayment and operating costs if the renovation projects are approved.

"We're getting ready to write a new letter explaining in more detail, because it was absolutely wrong what we put in there. We didn't do that on purpose, we just made a mistake," said the board's Vice Chairman Allen Daggett, at the Dec. 13 meeting. "We're going to do everything we can to rectify the mistakes. We're going to really do our best to get this rectified and do it the right way."

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Urges no vote on school bond

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131219-OPINION-312190349

To the Editor:

The citizens comprising RSU 21 have heard and read a great deal about the RSU 21 schools in peril and about the $75 million bond vote on Jan. 21 to save these schools. What hasn`t been discussed publicly is the peril in which many voters find themselves financially. Senior citizens, for instance, live on fixed incomes and already budget every penny toward monthly mandatory expenses. Where will they get the additional tax money if the Jan. 21 vote passes? There no longer is a circuit breaker program, and, yes, many seniors depend upon that program. In this economy, a number of citizens within the RSU 21 community are unemployed or underemployed. Where will they find extra tax money, what will they have to give up?

read more...

RSU 21 to discuss $75M in renovations

By JEFF LAGASSE
Staff Writer

 http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2013/11/30/news/doc529906de331a8763298864.txt

Published:

Saturday, November 30, 2013 6:05 AM EST

ARUNDEL — With a vote looming in January to determine whether Regional School Unit 21 undertakes a $75 million renovation of several of its schools, educators and town officials in Arundel, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport are making a push to provide the public with as much information as possible.

It’s with this in mind that district representatives will hold a facilities tour of the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel on Monday at 6 p.m., to be followed at 7 p.m. by a public hearing on the current state of the renovation plans.

The proposed plan calls for major updates to Mildred L. Day School, Kennebunk High School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School. In the case of Mildred L. Day School, the primary focus would be on the replacement of the C and D wings. Built on unstable soil, those areas have experienced settling of about 1/2 inch per year, which has affected the structural integrity of the roof. Tim Hussey, chairman of the RSU’s Facilities Committee, said during a public hearing in October that new floor plans for the school would allow for a building that has greater security, proper vehicle and pedestrian flow, a full-sized gymnasium, larger classrooms, and a multi-purpose space for both school and public use.

The proposal for all three schools, which would be renovated concurrently, was crafted by the district and by Auburn-based Harriman Architects  and Engineers.

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Kennebunk residents urged to vote absentee on school projects

http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2013/12/17/news/doc52a9df523f6b7142841440.txt

By JEFF LAGASSE
Staff Writer

Published:

Thursday, December 12, 2013 12:05 PM EST

KENNEBUNK — The Town of Kennebunk’s upcoming mailing won’t exactly be a letter to Santa, but it will contain a gift for its residents: absentee ballots, and a summary of information pertinent to the impending vote on a $75 million renovation project proposed by Regional School Unit 21.

The letter, which may be sent out as soon as this week, breaks down the costs of potential improvements that would be made to three of the district’s schools – Kennebunk High School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School and the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel – as well as information on how to calculate the expected tax increase based on a resident’s property value.

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Renovation needed for safety reasons

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131219-OPINION-312190348

To the Editor:

RSU21 has proposed an aggressive renovation plan for Kennebunk High School, Kennebunkport Consolidated School and Mildred L. Day School. The plan provides state of the art facilities to all communities throughout the RSU and will provide a safe and appealing environment for learning.

read more...

Enjoy and Be Safe This Holiday Season!