SALEM – The towns of Avon, Kingfield, Phillips and Strong will be voting on a school renovation project Tuesday, considering whether or not to utilize a no-interest loan through the state’s revolving renovation fund for improvements at two district schools.
The proposed projects would provide accessibility and safety updates to Phillips Elementary School and Mt. Abram High School.
PES will be brought up to standards set by the American Disability Act, renovating bathrooms, thresholds, doorways and expanding the elevator to be more accessible. Work done at PES is estimated at a cost of $591,646, more than half of which would be forgiven by the state. The district would be responsible for paying back $279,079 of the loan at zero percent interest.
Costs for the MAHS renovations come in at an estimated $619,106 and would cover added ventilation and roof structure for the gymnasium as well as a new exhaust system for the kitchen. The current exhaust system in the kitchen is not expected to pass inspection in November and will need to be addressed regardless of the outcome of the vote. A total of $327,074 of the loan is eligible for forgiveness leaving the district with a balance of $292,032 to pay back.
All of the projects are considered Priority 1 or 2 by the Maine Department of Education’s school revolving renovation fund, and much of the work will need to completed with or without the revolving loan funds. If approved by voters on April 25, funding would be provided by the Maine Municipal Bond Bank. The portion of the loan not forgiven outright would be repaid over a 10-year period with annual payments of $57,111. The district would have two years to complete the work.
The proposed $9.37 million budget approved by the school board on March 30 includes $57,111 to pay for the projects. That is offset by a $97,000 reduction in debt service relating to the Strong Elementary School loan being paid off.
Residents will vote in their respective towns, with all polls open from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25. The project would need to pass collectively in the district’s four towns for work to precede.
