Former Town Manager Shares Support for Cape Elizabeth School Bond

Submitted to The Cape Courier on May 12, 2025

By Michael K. McGovern

We are now approaching a vote on a new Middle School. As someone who has studied local history, I am reminded of the debates in 1964 on whether to spend $200,000 to purchase Fort Williams. It was said it was too much money. The “town” could not afford it etc. The Town borrowed the money and we all benefit from the vision that local leaders had.

It is time to make a fresh investment in our community’s future. I note that the Town now has little debt. The financing plan for the school softens the cost impact as it is spread over six years. Despite the signs we see in town, no one has promised that the school will increase test scores and no one has argued that the school population is growing. The opponents pretend that the proponents are claiming so. They are not. The opponents recently filed an ethics claim to the state about funding of the last campaign. These are all diversionary tactics so that the focus is not on the actual aging of the current building and the years of study that resulted in 11 of our 14 local elected officials supporting the proposed project.

While I have no children or grandchildren, I am voting “YES”. I am also voting for the school budget and for the zoning amendments for the town center. This has been a great town to live in over many decades. We need to aspire to remain a welcoming community to raise children.