PHILLIPS
It seemed paradoxical that the person most adamantly opposed to building an addition at the Phillips Middle School to house K-2 students would be the one digging up the dirt at the addition’s groundbreaking.

But on Friday, there Charlie Wilbur was. Grinning from ear to ear and holding steadfast to a three-handled golden shovel, flanked by his son Jon and his 12-year-old grandson, J.C.

The trio, who for generations have owned and farmed the rolling blue hills and the rippling fields of green overlooked by the Phillips school, took their digging job just as seriously as they took fighting the whole digging idea in the first place.

And even though Wilbur admitted he was “real pleased” to be a part of the groundbreaking and that his participation showed a “march of progress,” money is still the thing that pops into his head when asked what he thinks of the project.

The groundbreaking is just another in a long list of steps being taken by SAD 58 to straighten out the whole Phillips School situation.

In the summer of 2002, administrators in SAD 58 agreed to temporally shut down the antiquated Phillips Primary School, which educated about 60 students in grades K-2, due to heating problems, bad air quality and asbestos. Voters in the town supported that decision in February, when they officially voted to close the school for good, and build an addition onto the Phillips Middle School.

In the meantime, K-2 students are being schooled in portable classrooms.

The addition, which will include three new classrooms, an expanded library and arts space, will cost $823,000 to build. That funding comes out of a revolving renovation loan from the state, which forgives nearly half the loan and lends the rest of the money to the district at 0 percent, payable over 10 years.

“I was conflicted,” says Danielle Wilbur, Charlie’s daughter-in-law, who works for SAD 58. “I worked in the district so I could see the need as an educator, but as a taxpayer, it was like ewww! It’s definitely going to be what’s needed.” And on Friday, as she looked over at her three men leaning on the official ground-breaking shovel, a proud smile swept across her face. “They’re my guys.”

Her father-in-law’s never-ending stream of questions at public hearings, school yard meetings or just when he showed up at the superintendent’s office may have annoyed some, but they got the community more informed, says district Superintendent Quenten Clark.

“It’s a great day for Phillips,” Clark says proudly as 178 K-8 students swarmed about with a colorful palette of balloons clutched tightly in their hands, excited to get out of class a little early on a sunny Friday and have a party.

“We are here today to celebrate,” said school Principal Sue Pratt, who will move to SAD 9 in early October to assume the post of assistant superintendent there.

“We need to remember why we are here. To unite two schools together so we can have all the space we need. So this is a big celebration,” Pratt told the students.

After the celebration, Pratt revealed that faculty at the school are eager and anxious, for the work to be started and completed. The addition is scheduled to open next fall.

Even at age 12, J.C. Wilbur saw the irony in the day’s events.

“Since we were against, it was kinda of like, ‘Why?'” J.C. said about the three generations of Wilbur men being asked to man the golden shovel. “But, that’s how it always happens and yeah, it was pretty cool.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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