Addressing Cape Elizabeth School Infrastructure Needs: Exploring the Baseline Option
Cape Elizabeth's school infrastructure is the backbone of its educational system. With an elementary and middle school at the end of their useful life and a high school in its last stretch, it’s important to note that our current school buildings were designed when the programmatic needs of education were vastly different.
Harriman, Facility Needs Assessment Report, December 21, 2023, Page 13
Cape Elizabeth has spent years debating (and delaying) how to address its aging school infrastructure needs.
As a result of numerous studies, committees, and architect reports in 2012, 2019, and 2023, it’s apparent that necessary maintenance and safety improvements have been delayed time and time again. Failing roofs, heating systems a decade beyond their intended use, the building envelope, and other structural challenges, all point to the need for a significant, thoughtful investment in our school buildings… and soon.
Unfortunately, there is no easy and cheap solution.
Harriman architects studied the baseline, basic improvements necessary for tackling the minimum repairs needed to keep the buildings functioning. With significant implementation limitations and without addressing the district’s educational needs, it comes at a high cost — an estimated $36,562,500.
Harriman, Community Forum: 7 Initial Options, February 1, 2024, Page 56
The baseline option represents the most fundamental response to Cape Elizabeth’s school infrastructure needs.
The baseline option aims to address deferred maintenance and essential repairs necessary for the functioning of the schools. This includes the red priority items that are failing, do not meet current safety codes and standards, or require addressing in the next 0-3 years.
Examples of “Currently Critical” Issues:
Failing Precast Window Sills
1934 Building Exterior Repair
Elevator Machine Room
Exterior Masonry Repair
Loud Heating Units
Hot Water Pumps
Lack of Ventilation
Roof Reinforcement
Weak Security Design (32 Points of Entry and 63 Individual Doors)
Lack of Carbon Monoxide and Gas Detection Devices
Inconsistent Fire Alarm Audio/Visual Placement
Examples of “Does Not Meet Current Codes/Standards” Issues:
Lack of Sprinklers
Non-ADA-Compliant Ramps
Unsealed Conduit Penetrations
Plumbing Vents Near Air Intakes
Egress and Non-Compliant Exit Doors
For a detailed list of identified needs, clicking here or the image below to view Harriman’s Overall Matrix.
Harriman, Facility Needs Assessment Report, December 21, 2023, Pages 902-909
The $36.5 million baseline option represents a mere emergency repair, fraught with significant limitations and falling short of addressing student needs.
It doesn’t address educational or health and safety needs.
One of the main limitations of this repair-only approach is that it does not address the district's educational needs. The scope is incredibly narrow: focused solely on fixing essential building repairs. It doesn’t encompass any programmatic improvements or prioritize specific needs within the schools such as technology upgrades, the nurse’s office, student traffic flow and emergency preparedness, accessibility, storage, and inadequate classroom spaces.
While necessary maintenance fixes will be made to keep the physical buildings functioning, it completely overlooks the essential element of providing an educational environment that prepares students for 21st-century careers. Continuing to patch and retrofit 60+-year-old structures affects the well-being, learning potential, and productivity of both students and educators.
It’s a short-term fix that requires investing taxpayer money into facilities that don’t serve their primary purpose.
Continually deferring crucial repairs and only completing the bare minimum will inevitably result in even higher costs down the road as issues compound and worsen. Instead of pouring emergency funds into outdated facilities, the town needs to create a master plan for our school campus: replacing one building at a time, over the next 40 years.
Investing in new facilities in a planned, thoughtful way will ensure that our schools can meet the needs of current and future students while also taking a measured approach to spending taxpayer funds. As the town pays off debt, the town can continue to make “payments” to itself, saving for the next building and creating a sustainable cycle of improvement.
Choosing the emergency repair short-term solution only serves to place future Cape Elizabeth residents in an even more precarious position: three 100-year-old school buildings that need to be replaced at the same time.
SBAC, Community Public Hearing , April 10, 2024
The Need for a Comprehensive Solution:
While the baseline option provides a starting point for addressing Cape Elizabeth's school infrastructure needs, it is clear that a more comprehensive solution is required. Investing solely in basic repairs is akin to putting a band-aid on a wound that requires surgery. To truly create safe, conducive learning environments, we must consider:
Long-term Planning: Developing a comprehensive plan that addresses both immediate repairs and long-term strategic goals is crucial. This entails prioritizing infrastructure projects based on their impact on education, safety, and overall school functionality.
Safety Upgrades: Ensuring the safety of students, teachers, and staff should be a top priority. This may involve upgrades to building security systems, addressing structural vulnerabilities, and implementing measures to mitigate potential hazards.
Educational Enhancements: Beyond infrastructure repairs, investing in educational enhancements is essential for fostering academic excellence. This could include technology upgrades, facility expansions, and curriculum developments tailored to meet the evolving needs of students.
While the baseline option offers a basic framework for addressing Cape Elizabeth's school infrastructure needs, it falls short in providing a comprehensive, sustainable long-term plan that provides long-term value for taxpayers and addresses other deficiencies in the school infrastructure.
To truly transform our schools into safe, thriving environments conducive to learning and growth, we must prioritize long-term planning, safety upgrades, and educational enhancements to our spaces. By investing wisely in our educational infrastructure, we invest in the future success of our students and our community.
Email the School Board and Town Council to let them know that you support the creation of a smart plan for replacing the buildings on our school campus, starting with the construction of a new Middle School. It is the most long-term, fiscally responsible choice.