Over the past year, RSU 1 has been reviewing the current condition of our facilities with the assistance of Harriman Architects and Engineers.
The district has many aging buildings which are of concern. The finance and facilities committees representing RSU 1 met continuously over the summer to determine need, establish priorities, and explore financing.

The goal of the board was to develop a list of projects that will sustain our facilities for the next 5-10 years, while we continue to work diligently on the long-term future of the district's facilities.

Morse is currently ranked 11 on the list for state-financed schools, but we feel this project is probably close to 10 years out.  
The joint committee presented a list of projects to the Board of Directors in August, along with a price tag. After initial review, the committee chose to revisit the list and explore alternative means of financing. The list was trimmed down further and it represents mostly safety concerns and bringing our buildings up to code in certain areas.

On September 23, the board did vote to go out to a bond referendum for approximately 5.2 million that will occur on November 5. The official list of projects is posted on our website, www.rsu1.org.

In addition, the board is planning to finance this bond over a 10-year period. The cost would be phased in as we retire current debt. While these improvements may not be readily visible to the public, they will greatly improve the operation of our facilities and give the board, and the community, the time it needs to conduct long-term planning without the fear of a closure of one of our schools due to a system failure. 

Please visit www.rsu1.org for more information on this bond referendum. We encourage you to attend the last public forum on October 30 at Phippsburg Elementary School gymnasium at 6 p.m. — and to vote on November 5.

Frequently asked questions

Is this to replace Morse High School?

No, the proposed bonds are intended to fund necessary repairs and improvements at Morse and at other schools in our district. Morse is currently number 11 on the state's school construction list, and it will be about 10 years before it will be funded by the state. In the meantime, these improvements should maintain our schools until we decide on a course of action for the future.

What kinds of repairs are needed?

Electrical upgrades, window replacements, boiler and heating systems, and securing entrances are some of the most necessary items. A complete list of all the improvements is located at www.rsu1.org. These repairs are designed to meet code or accreditation requirements, upgrade security and safety and reduce energy consumption.

This seems kind of sudden. Why now?

The Board of Directors made this a priority in September of 2012. The Facilities and Finance Committees of the Board have been working on this over the past year, and have identified the most necessary projects from a much longer list. The Board voted to send this issue out for you to decide in this election, because the board believes that interest rates are good, that this work can begin in the summer of 2014, and that is would be a mistake to delay these projects any further.

How will we pay for this?

The board has structured this bond to become due as old debt is retired. This bond will be paid off in 10 years as we maintain our existing debt load.