MEXICO – The Region 9 board on Tuesday unanimously voted to present a $7.3 million renovation and construction referendum question to voters in the spring.
They also decided not to set the specific date until each of the school boards of the three sending districts have seen a presentation on the plans to expand the school’s space and programming.
Tentatively planned is a doubling of classroom and lab space at the River Road school and the addition of at least two new vocational programs. If approved, the secondary vocational and adult education programs at the school would have 56,000 square feet of space.
Director David Driscoll said he plans to make a PowerPoint presentation to the boards of SADs 21, 43 and 44 sometime in January. He said the superintendents of each of the districts are expected to prepare an example of how much the addition and renovation would increase taxes for property owners in their respective towns.
Also, the vocational school’s staff will have a chance to view and comment Jan. 3 on the expansion plan designed by architect Jim Reuter of the Bethel firm of Smith Reuter Lull.
Norman Clanton, chairman of the board, said plans must move ahead on the project.
“If we dally, we’ll lose interest-free money and the more we stretch it out, the more the cost will go up.”
The state has offered about $1.5 million in grants and loans toward the project. With about $660,000 still owed on the existing building, the board has tentatively decided to seek approval for a $7.3 million project.
Also approved was a $5,000 budget to conduct a campaign to get the expansion plan approved. The funds will be used to create a video and send mailings to former students and parents, businesses and others in support of the building project.
Most agreed that persuading residents to vote for the project could be a hard sell.
“Six to eight million dollars is a big project. I’m concerned about a tax-rate increase,” said Bethel representative Robert Everett, who added that there is a need for a more up-to-date secondary vocational school.
Clanton said the current school does not provide sufficient space for the existing vocational program.
“And the roof leaks, and we have no handicap accessibility. We need to do the project right the first time,” he said.
In a related matter, the board entered into a closed session to discuss negotiations for the purchase of adjacent land that would be used for part of the addition.
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