Let’s make every dollar count
Please note: This letter reflects opinions regarding the November 2024 “Middle Ground” school referendum. It does not represent the current 2025 Cape Elizabeth school proposal which is an updated and revised version.
BY SCOTT MAZUZAN
Fiscal responsibility has been a key theme in the SBAC’s evaluation of school design concepts. In that vein, I’d like to highlight two points.
When considering major spending on our homes or vehicles, we consumers typically
demand context on 1) the expected lifetime of our investment and 2) what future expenses we can expect following any given course of action. We should expect the same as voters and residents of Cape Elizabeth.
Which design concept provides the highest ratio of “years of useful life” to invested dollar? Option E (new middle school) by a country mile. Which options reflect the biggest lurking subsequent expenses in the next 15 years? B and C (renovations) by a country mile. Don’t take my word for it - just look at the reports from Harriman (Powerpoints from 2/1 and 4/10 community forums).
Renovation options also include a whopping $3.6M line item for “swing space” (read also: trailers) to house classrooms during the 3 (yes, three) school years of disruption necessitated by renovations. There is no return on investing nearly $4M to rent trailer classrooms that occupy athletic fields and create further displacement and disruption. New middle school construction has no such expense and would pose no student disruption, thanks to the phasing of projects.
We cannot avoid making a major investment in our schools; the needs are demonstrable, documented, and publicly available. Let’s make every dollar count. Option E will cost taxpayers less in the long run.
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