School Facts
SMARTaxes Position on School Building Project
Key issues:
The solution to the issues should:
1. Consider and fairly evaluate reasonable options for new construction, rehabbing existing schools or a combination of both.
2. Insure that the retention of the neighborhood schools for the lowest grades is thoroughly and fairly evaluated from a financial and community benefit standpoint. There should be meaningful community input into the decision between maintaining the neighborhood schools and creating a consolidated elementary school.
3. Balance legitimate school needs with residents’ ability and willingness to pay – which will ultimately be determined by referendum.
SMARTaxes – Scarborough Maine Advocates for Reasonable Taxes 05-13-23
- Providing a quality K-12 education is one of the community’s fundamental responsibilities. The Town must maintain suitable and safe school facilities that are consistent with providing a high quality education.
- Our current K-2 schools are now at or above capacity and they cannot accommodate projected enrollment increases. Construction of additional school space is needed now.
- Two primary issues need to be resolved in the K-2 schools now:
- Safety and security deficiencies.
- Space shortages resulting from changes in educational needs/practices and continuing increases in enrollment.
The solution to the issues should:
1. Consider and fairly evaluate reasonable options for new construction, rehabbing existing schools or a combination of both.
2. Insure that the retention of the neighborhood schools for the lowest grades is thoroughly and fairly evaluated from a financial and community benefit standpoint. There should be meaningful community input into the decision between maintaining the neighborhood schools and creating a consolidated elementary school.
3. Balance legitimate school needs with residents’ ability and willingness to pay – which will ultimately be determined by referendum.
SMARTaxes – Scarborough Maine Advocates for Reasonable Taxes 05-13-23
