Capital improvement projects planned for SAD 4 facilities
GUILFORD — Seven different capital improvement projects will be carried out across the SAD 4 school campuses in the current and next academic years after the directors approved a package of about $205,500 in district funds during a Feb. 12 meeting at Piscataquis Community Elementary School.
Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen was authorized to spend $159,100-plus from the the minor capital improvement fund for the projects. “We have $159,000 in our reserve fund and we want to get started on this,” she said, saying the remaining near $46,000 will come from next year’s budget and other existing accounts.
MacFadyen said the work includes about $5,500 for PCES bathroom renovations, $37,900 to refurbish the gym floor, and the purchase of a zero turn mower with a low quote of $10,590. She said another $34,445 will go toward a heating upgrade at the elementary school.
The projects also include nearly $40,400 for technology upgrades, $51,660 for paving, and $25,000 for tiles in the PCHS hallways. “I think (the paving) is self explanatory and the walkway is buckling,” MacFadyen said.
In other business, board member Brian Levensailor gave a budget committee report by saying “we have had several meetings to look at the proposed draft budget, version one.”
“We are hoping by our next meeting to have the 279 in place,” Levensailor said as the ED 279 report from the Maine Department of Education will contain state subsidy information for 2019-20. He said the budget committee has done most of the work it can before receiving the ED 279.
Board Chair Niki Fortier said the next budget committee meeting will be Feb. 26 at PCHS.
Board member Holly Hartford said some residents of her hometown of Cambridge want the Somerset County community to leave SAD 4 and a question on whether to pursue a withdrawal effort is scheduled to be on the March 2 annual town meeting warrant.
“They want to save money, that’s all they will give me,” Hartford said about the reasoning. She said some Cambridge citizens want K-8 students to attend Harmony Elementary and then have a choice of what high school to attend.
Levensailor said the possibility of Cambridge exiting SAD 4 has come up in previous budget cycles. “The final decision comes down to the board of education and the commissioner,” he said. “We can’t kick them out and they can’t leave without the commissioner’s approval.”
“Just because they voted ‘yes’ doesn’t mean it will get approved down the road,” he said about the March 2 warrant item.
Last May the current $7,087,042 SAD 4 budget was voted down in Cambridge via a count of 30-13. The spending plan was also turned down in Abbot and Parkman — 33-25 and 38-31 respectively — but passed overall 164-134 with Guilford, Sangerville, and Wellington factored in.