Voters in RSU 40 approved the $24.9 million capital improvement bond to fund upgrades to Medomak Valley High School that school district leaders say can no longer be delayed.
The bond passed 3,074-1340, and 197 blank ballots, receiving 67% of the vote.
All five towns within the district passed the question. In Waldoboro, the bond passed 1,085-463, with 52 blank ballots. Friendship passed the question 270-139 with 10 blank ballots. Union passed the question 569-226, with 106 blanks. Warren voters passed the question 817-349, with 26 blanks. Washington passed it 333-163, with 3 blank ballots.
In total, there were 4,600 ballots cast within the towns of RSU 40, and 1,600 of those were from Waldoboro.
The bond will pay for repairs at MVHS to address arsenic in the water, asbestos in the floor tiles and ventilation system, a heating system at the end of its life, and noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout the building.
According to information the school’s bond renovation website, the cost of this renovation project is fixed at $24.9 million and cannot be raised.
The capital improvements bond will be paid back over 20 years and the payment for the first year is interest only.
The project will renovate much of the facility and address accessibility shortcomings. Student restrooms, locker rooms, nurse administration areas, and guidance offices currently do not meet accessibility standards, school officials have said. Plans also include adding a secure main entrance so visitors must be identified and sign in before entering the building.
This bond will pay for a larger water storage tank and a new arsenic treatment system for water safety, ensuring the students have drinking water. It will finance the biomass boiler, which the Waldoboro Planning Board has approved, that will be installed off the property and used for both the high school and middle school. It will also pay for new sprinklers and fire suppression safety systems.
Construction is scheduled to take place over three consecutive summers. Work will focus on removing asbestos throughout the building, installing the new water treatment system, and the boiler.
Plumbing, electrical, and flooring work will follow in 2027, with framing and finishing improvements happening in 2028.
Voters also approved the Maine Department of Education revolving renovation loan for $3.96 million. Districtwide, this measure passed 2,851-1,551, with 209 blank votes.
Only 42.75% of this loan will be paid back and at 0% interest over 10 years.
Repairs from the loan will include $1.47 million for asbestos abatement at the high school, $493,574 for water quality improvements at the high school, and $2 million to replace the ventilation system at Union Elementary School.
RSU 40 voters rejected an $81 million districtwide capital improvement bond in November 2023, causing the school district to approach the vote for this bond question with significant caution. Conversations around the budget process focused heavily on keeping costs low enough that voters would pass the bond questions, and members of the board of directors advocated for the measures within their communities.
For more information about the MVHS Renovation Project, go to rsu40.org/medomak-valley-high-school-renovation-project.
