The proposed new school building project, repairs to the school facility, and students riding snowmobiles to school highlighted the Jefferson School Board’s agenda March 11.
Members unanimously opposed a request to allow students to ride their snowmobiles to the school and park snowmobiles on school grounds, a decision that was to be passed on to town selectmen March 16.
Board members expressed their collective concern for safety of the riders, as students would have to cross Rt. 126 to enter school property. They expressed concern about the liability issues to the school if they allowed the activity to happen.
JVS principal Dusty Nelson said the students would still be able to ride their snowmobiles on town property up to the playground. This will hinge on whether or not town selectmen allow it to occur. If the snow doesn’t stay on the ground, the issue will be a moot point, board members agreed.
Looking at broader issues concerning the financial circumstances of the school and the future budget, School Union 132 superintendent Francis Boynton said the much anticipated federal stimulus funding will work to reimburse a curtailment absorbed by the school budget.
“It’s coming in with a different set of restrictions,” Boynton said, warning board members in advance these funds would likely be applied toward long-term and energy efficient projects.
Boynton suggested the Board consider this information as they think toward the proposed new school building project for Jefferson.
The site plan and additional property project planners recently acquired was approved by the state, according to Boynton. He said the town received roughly $30,000 toward the additional land, which helped Oak Point architects formulate a plan to submit to the state.
Boynton explained the process by which the town would fund the proposed project. He said the town would borrow enough money to cover half the cost of the project, a small portion of which would be applied to paying the architects and start up costs for building.
The remaining funds would go into a Bank Anticipation Note, which would incur interest costs to the town. The note would cover costs for the first half of the project and the project planners would invest the remainder into an interest bearing account, Boynton said. He added they hope this interest would cover the interest on the loan, adding that the process at this point is theoretical.
Half-way through the project’s process, the town would take on a regular bond to pay off the original note. State subsidy would then come in around the same time and would reimburse the town over the course of the following 20 years. The town would pay the bond back using the funds from the state.
At the meeting, Board member Clayton Spinney asked Boynton who would take over his work with the project in the superintendent’s place. Boynton said there are two positions allocated in the school budget.
A new superintendent and a clerk of the works will help facilitate work on the project when Boynton takes his position as superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 40 in June.
Architects will present the latest information on the concept plan to voters at a straw poll hearing on April 1. Boynton told Board members he needed feedback on articles, which should go on the referendum in June, which is to follow the straw poll.
Presently, Boynton and the architects are looking into requests made by attendees at previous hearings. These requests to be considered in the design of the new school include extra square footage for the gymnasium, library and cafeteria.
People are also weighing the benefits between a wood chip boiler and a geothermal heating system for the proposed school plan.
“These projects such as a geothermal system could be paid off fairly quickly,” Boynton said. “However, such a system could increase the electricity costs.”
Boynton added this proposed new school would be more energy efficient, but would also be larger and take more energy to heat and cool. When asked which system he preferred, Boynton said he leaned toward a wood chip boiler option. He said both options are energy efficient, but the pumps that work in a geothermal system require use of electricity.
Board member Donna Finch expressed her concern over the smoke coming from a system that burns wood. Boynton said he believed the new wood chip boilers burn very hot, implying the emissions would not be the same as a traditional wood stove in someone’s home.
Board member Ellie Day said she would be interested in seeing an installed wood chip boiler in operation. Other members agreed and said they wanted to see how both systems work first hand.
Traffic patterns were of particular concern to one audience member, who said she hoped the issue was taken under consideration in the development of the concept plan. The conversation between the audience member and the Board implied that safety and efficiency will play an important role in knowing where the rooms are in relation to the playground, bathrooms and other areas of the school.
Boynton said these issues are taken into consideration as the Fire Marshal’s Office and Maine Dept. of Transportation officials have a pivotal role in the design of the proposed new school. Some ideas that look good to Board members or members of the community might not pass the fire marshal’s inspection, so safety is a top concern, he said.
The cost to repair a section of the roof at JVS will come to $5500, Boynton said, adding that the school also burned 120 gallons of propane this winter.
He said they should be able to recover funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the repair work. The costs are not going to affect the spending power of the budget. This is important, because the school will have to consider replacing a boiler over the summer, Boynton said.
The Board will continue to handle maintenance expenses of JVS even as a new school project is on the table for discussion. Jefferson voters will have a chance to participate in the straw poll on April 1 at JVS at 6:30 p.m., where a non-binding vote on the concept plan will take place.