SMARTaxes
Scarborough Maine Advocates for Reasonable Taxes
We're here for Scarborough taxpayers
SMARTaxes Opposes $160 million Elementary School Project
SMARTaxes, the Scarborough taxpayer advocacy group, will oppose the $160 million bond issue for the proposed new 1,100-student elementary school at the November 7, 2023 referendum. This decision was made with much reluctance as we recognize the need for improvements to and expansion of the Town’s current elementary school facilities. However, we believe that the school as proposed places an extraordinary and unnecessary financial burden on Scarborough taxpayers.
The proposed K-3 school is by far the largest capital project the Town has ever undertaken. If approved, it would be one of the largest elementary schools in the State. And the most expensive municipally-financed school ever built in Maine. While we are strongly supportive of Scarborough kids continuing to receive a high quality education, we believe a more modest solution should be found which better balances educational excellence and taxpayer affordability. In short, we believe we can do better.
We have numerous significant reservations about the proposed school project. Among the most prominent:
* The proposed school is 22% larger than the State Department of Education guidelines. Since the final cost of the building is directly related to its size, taxpayers are being asked to pay for a school that is significantly larger than State guidelines.
* The Town has provided confusing and evasive information on the tax impact of the project. The model used to generate the projected impact is exceedingly complex, and overly optimistic assumptions have been made in calculating the tax impact.
* The proposal shuts down the three neighborhood K-2 schools that have historically been an important part of the Town’s appeal to families and sense of community. The decision to replace these schools with a massive 1,100-student mega-school did not receive adequate public input or a fair financial evaluation.
* The site selection process failed to adequately evaluate alternative sites to The Downs and did not consider the impact of the proposed location on the Sawyer Road/Track View Terrace neighborhood which will be irreparably harmed.
* The Town was coerced into a financially disastrous deal with The Downs for the proposed site, paying our “partner” more than $300,000 per acre for the land and making outrageous concessions to The Downs on unrelated matters that will further enrich the developers.
Again, we believe we can do better while still maintaining Scarborough’s tradition of educational excellence.
SMARTaxes, the Scarborough taxpayer advocacy group, will oppose the $160 million bond issue for the proposed new 1,100-student elementary school at the November 7, 2023 referendum. This decision was made with much reluctance as we recognize the need for improvements to and expansion of the Town’s current elementary school facilities. However, we believe that the school as proposed places an extraordinary and unnecessary financial burden on Scarborough taxpayers.
The proposed K-3 school is by far the largest capital project the Town has ever undertaken. If approved, it would be one of the largest elementary schools in the State. And the most expensive municipally-financed school ever built in Maine. While we are strongly supportive of Scarborough kids continuing to receive a high quality education, we believe a more modest solution should be found which better balances educational excellence and taxpayer affordability. In short, we believe we can do better.
We have numerous significant reservations about the proposed school project. Among the most prominent:
* The proposed school is 22% larger than the State Department of Education guidelines. Since the final cost of the building is directly related to its size, taxpayers are being asked to pay for a school that is significantly larger than State guidelines.
* The Town has provided confusing and evasive information on the tax impact of the project. The model used to generate the projected impact is exceedingly complex, and overly optimistic assumptions have been made in calculating the tax impact.
* The proposal shuts down the three neighborhood K-2 schools that have historically been an important part of the Town’s appeal to families and sense of community. The decision to replace these schools with a massive 1,100-student mega-school did not receive adequate public input or a fair financial evaluation.
* The site selection process failed to adequately evaluate alternative sites to The Downs and did not consider the impact of the proposed location on the Sawyer Road/Track View Terrace neighborhood which will be irreparably harmed.
* The Town was coerced into a financially disastrous deal with The Downs for the proposed site, paying our “partner” more than $300,000 per acre for the land and making outrageous concessions to The Downs on unrelated matters that will further enrich the developers.
Again, we believe we can do better while still maintaining Scarborough’s tradition of educational excellence.
Email: info@SMARTaxes.com
Web: www.SMARTaxes.com
FB: Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough
Web: www.SMARTaxes.com
FB: Concerned Taxpayers of Scarborough
