Community School District (CSD) trustees talked next steps March 17 for renovations to Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES). Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled Feb. 10in favor of the CSD in a lawsuit over the $30 million referendum for school repairs. Maine Municipal Bond Bank recently approved the $30 million loan.  

During the meeting, Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler recommended the CSD postpone participating in the bank’s spring sale and wait until fall.  

“Our approval (from the bank) is still good for a full year. So, we would be able to, if we're ready to by then ... bond in the fall,” he said.  

In the meantime, the CSD can secure a Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) for $2.5 million, which will allow trustees to work with architects to revise the project's scope and get new estimates. As reported in the Register, the lawsuit delay cost the project about $3 million. The BAN will also pay off the past due amount for the previous design and engineering work, and allow new designs, permitting and documenting to progress. 

In a post-meeting interview, Kahler explained that the BAN is an advance on the $30 million loan.  

“It gives us access to what we're going to need to spend sooner rather than later, and when we bond the full amount that's going to be borrowed, that pays off (the BAN).”  

In other business, Kahler said the CSD pays about $7,516 more per student than the state average. According to a meeting document, the above average areas include regular instruction, special education, student/staff support, and operations and maintenance.  

One reason is the CSD’s staff is both more senior and more highly accredited than average. However, the primary expense is maintaining the CSD’s older buildings.  

Trustees discussed cutting back expenses in areas easier to address. For instance, revising disposal contracts so that certain items that usually incur additional monthly fees are accounted for.

Facilities Director David Benner said a domestic backflow leak was recently repaired at Boothbay Region High School (BRHS), and replacement parts are about eight to 10 weeks out to fix a broken boiler at BRES. 

BRES’s parapet project incurred several additional costs. These included removing and reinstalling a brace, removing two radio antennas to install a new metal fabrication and moving the fiber line connection point linking BRES to BRHS. While Benner is still awaiting the bills, he believes costs will be minimal and will likely be covered by the remaining $161,000 from the CSD’s $1.6 million repair bond.