A new fire alarm panel will be installed, likely in October, at Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES) after a power spike damaged it and the controller used for the card swipe system, Director of Facilities David Benner told Community School District (CSD) trustees Sept. 24.  

Trustees received a $70,000 quote to upgrade the fire alarm system. The plan is to install a main panel, with a subpanel in the later addition. The CSD is waiting for the replacement parts to arrive. 

After consulting with the State Fire Marshal and local departments, the CSD has been employing people (certified to be in the school) for four-to-five-hour fire watch shifts at $25 an hour. Concerns have been raised as a school in Brunswick with a similar issue decided to close, but Benner reiterated that the watch plan has approval from fire safety authorities. 

“I feel like we're doing everything by the book,” he said.  

As reported in the Register, unforeseen issues with installing new fuel tanks at Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) and BRES required more time and expense. Dirigo Engineering Owner Representative Thomas Perkins (not the CSD school board member) said they were looking into Portland Pump’s provided cost estimates, saying, “There's definitely additional work that they have done that was beyond what they originally put. I don't believe, without seeing justification, that it amounts to what they're claiming it costs, so we have lightly reviewed that.” 

The CSD still needs to pay $56,000 of the original contract’s $383, 980 quote. They have also paid $125,000 for the additional labor using funds from the $1.6 million repair bond. Final figures from Portland Pump are forthcoming.  

In a post-meeting interview, Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler said the tanks are being filled, and heat would hopefully be restored to the schools before the end of the month.  

The board decided to include adding outlets into the BRES renovation’s base scope ($29,000) rather than keeping it as an alternate. Locker room renovations ($672,000), multi-user toilet renovations ($338,000) and art room cabinetry ($290,000) remain alternates for bidding day. The funding gap for the renovation is about $7 to $7.5 million, depending on the cost of the maintenance building, said Kahler. The CSD is taking donations to cover the deficit. 

Senior Vice President Joseph P. Cuetara of Moors & Cabot’s Capital Markets Division gave a brief presentation on bond financing for the renovation. No final decisions were made. 

Attendee Tom Perkins of Boothbay Harbor asked that neighbors be properly informed of goings-on at the renovation, so they can prepare for any effects from construction, such as water runoff. He said he was asked to relay these concerns.  

Following up on trustee interest in student involvement, BRHS Principal Tricia Campbell said she had candidates for a student representative on the board.