Using reporter Fritz Freudenberger’s lead question in his article on the CSD board of trustees meeting story this week regarding the aftermath of the Nov. 7 vote where voters turned down the two referendums – now what? -- it remains to be seen how the board will proceed with convincing the voters to approve renovations on the two schools – the 67-year-old Boothbay Region High School and the 47-year-old Boothbay Region Elementary School.

We feel the voters thought the plans for the two schools were too expensive at this time, especially with the costs of nearly everything going up. A huge jump in property taxes would have been the result if both referendums were approved. However, repairing what needs to be done to the schools will result in some increases in property taxes over the next few years.

As we reported, “According to the CSD, the Boothbay region elementary-middle and high school needs around $38 million in repairs, most of which need to be done in five years. These include several hundred thousand dollars to repair the dry sprinkler system at the elementary-middle school, repairs on the school’s roof, and a potential $300,000 security entrance at the high school.”

It sounds as if the school trustees will be holding public hearings on future expenditures for the repairs and piecemeal referendums on those expenditures – your tax dollars combined with any contributions that may transpire.

We do hope for greater public participation when those discussions are held. Like your car or your home, repairs to the “old schools” need to be done. Let’s work together to solve those “needs” and forget about the “wants” that were voted down on Nov. 7.

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Congratulations and thank you to all who held events for our veterans this past weekend. Thank you veterans for your service. Our small communities care and it showed.