On Monday, August 22, 2022 the Town Council authorized the expenditure of up to $115,943,324 to design, construct, and equip a new elementary school and a new middle school, and to renovate the high school with a vote of 4-3.  Councilors Timothy Reiniger, Penny Jordan, and Susan Gillis voted against the authorization.  The council voted 6-1 in favor of authorizing expenditures of up to $5 million in the form of gifts and grants to pay for additional auditorium seating, solar panels, and other miscellaneous improvements to enhance the new elementary and new middle school.  Councilor Reiniger voted against.  In addition, the council voted 6-1 in favor of approving a November 8 referendum question regarding the school construction project; Reiniger was opposed.  

Prior to the council votes, a public hearing lasting two hours was held.  Approximately forty citizens spoke regarding the authorization of expenditures for the $115 million school construction project.  Chair Jeremy Gabrielson said that the council had also received many emails on the subject since June 1.  Councilor Nicole Boucher provided specifics by informing that the council received 74 emails from unique people and one letter with over 69 unique signatures that had not previously sent an email.  Of that total, “110 people were in support of sending the school expenditures to a vote; 29 were against; and 4 were unknown or wanted more information.”  More than half of the residents who spoke at the hearing stated they were asking the council not to authorize the expenditure, citing concerns over tax increases or suggesting that a phased approach be used.  Those who spoke in favor expressed concerns over the schools’ current inability to provide adequate spaces for current teaching and learning practices, energy-deficient and failing buildings.  

In response to one citizen’s question about utilizing state funding, Superintendent Christopher Record said that the state provides funding to the top five schools out of approximately 70 who apply for funding; “Based on my experience in other districts, our school would be somewhere in the middle of that list, but it would not be on the top of the list.”  In response to concerns over citizens not being able to afford increases to their property taxes, Gabrielson asked Town Manager Matthew Sturgis to review tax-relief options.  Sturgis listed tax assistance programs available through homestead exemptions, veterans’ exemptions, and the local Senior Tax Relief Program which provides eligible seniors up to $500 in tax relief.  In addition, Sturgis said the recently passed state L.D. 290 allows seniors to freeze property taxes based on this year’s tax bill.  “Already, over 400 people have applied.  When the town revaluation happens, their [seniors in the program] tax bill will be based on this year, not the revaluation; applications are available online,” Sturgis said.    

Following the public hearing, council discussion included a range of opinions on how to proceed.   Councilor Penny Jordan said that she was in support of doing something for the schools but, “I just want to make sure that people who have been here and lived here can stay. I am also a firm supporter of affordable housing and I see this dynamic tension between the need for our schools and our need to diversify our town economically and culturally.”  Jordan proposed that the bond amount be changed to $95 million and amended the motion, “We need to set a number that is realistic for every member of this community.”  Councilor Gretchen Noonan disagreed and asked, “Why build a $95 million project that doesn’t meet our needs?  This is more wasteful.”  Councilor Caitlin Jordan said, “Nobody wants to pay more taxes, but we need to figure out what the majority of the town can swallow.  The reality is that we need to be pushing this forward; we need to be making progress. My feeling is that if we can find a number, 95, 100, etc., that creates a more palatable tax increase, you have more of a chance of it passing.”

Gabrielson asked the superintendent to comment on delivering a project at $95 million by November.  Record responded by saying, “A lot of work has been done to get to the number we have; $95 million would be a significant decrease in square footage.  I am not saying that we couldn’t figure it out, but there is a risk here on the other side of the equation for the people who are advocating for $115 million.”  

Councilor Nicole Boucher said, “I think for the long-term and the other options don’t make sense in the long term. Renovating at $70 million instead of building new would mean 10 years, 20 years tops, for the life of those buildings that still don’t solve other problems; that still mean that kids will be receiving services in closets and hallways, with other classrooms right against theirs.  I think about how that means that the budlings will be failing in 20 years and we will need to replace the elementary, middle school, and high school and that is in even bigger hit.”  Additionally, Boucher cautioned, “We have to face the very real possibility that people may leave because it [schools] doesn’t have the things they want; people that have the means will leave; they will go to private schools; they will move to other towns; and we will have crumbling schools with a tax base that can’t afford anything at all.”  Noonan added, “Sending this on to the voters is the way for the community to tell us if this is a priority; then it becomes our job to figure out other ways to save and make sure there is a safety net for people.”  In addition, “The tax implications are gross; they don’t take into account the savings.  For example, we could be saving over $600,000 a year just by having heat pumps,” Noonan said.

To P. Jordan’s amendment, Gabrielson said, “I am sympathetic to bringing this budget down, but the reason I intend to vote against the amendment is one of process.  If we are going to choose a number other than $115 million, that really is a conversation we need to be having with the School Board.” P. Jordan’s amended motion to authorize expenditures of $95 million failed 1-6.  P. Jordan made a second motion to authorize $100 million, but no one seconded the motion.

On the original motion which passed 4-3, C. Jordan said, “I really hope that the people come out to vote.  We need to hear from you because the ball is in your court now.”