On July 29, 2024, we sent the Town Council a statement from 465 Cape voters.

You can download the statement by clicking the button below, or scroll down for the full document.

July 29, 2024

Dear Town Council and School Board Members:

Education has continually evolved to address the needs of society at various points in history. In the 1880s, a one-room schoolhouse sufficed because the primary educational goals were geared towards agriculture, factory work, and small business. College preparation was limited to a select few.  

As we advanced through the Industrial Revolution, the increased complexity of governments and organizations created a demand for educated managers and civil servants. To meet this need, the education system expanded to include more subjects such as accounting, math, and basic science. This shift necessitated a move away from the one-room schoolhouse to a model featuring multiple grades and specialized teachers, with physical facilities evolving to support these changes. 

Today, we face similar challenges and school buildings with critical unmet safety and environmental needs. Modern business and academia require knowledge of science, robotics, coding, new literature, and an appreciation of diversity. The educational demands of the 21st century cannot be fulfilled using facilities and methods developed in the mid-20th century.  Moreover, every expert who has inspected our buildings, including Harriman, the most reputable public school architects in Maine, have advised our buildings face expensive health and safety deficiencies and are at or near the end of the typical lifespan of a school building.  Just as it was necessary to evolve from the one-room schoolhouse and the curriculum of the 1930s, it is now time to update our educational infrastructure and approach to meet modern safety standards and contemporary needs.

Therefore, the undersigned people support the $89.95 million “middle ground” proposal unanimously approved by the School Board on July 1, 2024, to build a new middle school, renovate Pond Cove, and repair the high school. This is a smart investment and the result of over 106 public meetings from the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC), joint workshops between the School Board and Town Council, and nearly $1 million in hired experts, including Owner’s Representative CBRE Heery, Harriman architects, and multiple communications and public surveying experts. We believe the “middle ground” proposal presents: (1) a long-term financially responsible solution that addresses facilities with rising maintenance costs and outdated mechanical systems; (2) meets the educational needs of students; and (3) addresses the budget concerns of residents, with its commitment to a long-term 50-year-plan rather than short-term fixes that won’t last as long as the bonds that fund them. For the average homeowner, the project costs will peak to approximately $80/month in FY2029 where it will remain level for the life of the bond or until it is refinanced.  The middle ground represents a more than 25% reduction from the failed ballot proposal of 2022. 

Further, we reject any attempt to increase the bond amount above $89.95 million, most especially the recent proposal to add $4.8 million for an undetermined project at the site of the 1934 building on the following basis: (1) a use has not been determined, discussed, or studied by the Town Council; (2) the Interim Town Manager indicated that bond counsel has not had the opportunity to provide input and any vote for the building’s restoration may have to be separate from the school bond to avoid complications; (3) students will continue to use this building for the next 3+ years if the “middle ground” project is approved; and (4) the public has not had the opportunity to provide comment on any proposed use of this building, as none has been proposed.  It is a dereliction of town council duties to put any such bonded amount out to voters under these circumstances. 

Lastly, we call on you to outright reject the “Reiniger bond” proposal of $42 million, on the basis that: (1) the closest comparison the public can make, since this option was floated without expert opinion from architects or bond counsel, is “Option A”, a preliminary $36.5 million “bring the building to code” concept presented to the SBAC in February 2024 that was the first option to be unanimously rejected ; (2) while the Town Council has authority to issue a bond, it does not have authority to dictate how the funds may be used by the School Board, essentially writing a blank check and abdicating the Council’s fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers; (3) it neglects the educational needs of the students; (4) it's a short-term fix that squanders taxpayer dollars requiring re-investment in the same school buildings before the bond is paid off.   

It is time for voters to weigh in on the School Board’s “middle ground” proposal; please give the town a chance to invest thoughtfully in continuing the legacy of excellent education in Cape Elizabeth.

Very Truly Yours,

Lauren Abrami • Erin Acheson • Amy Acheson • Andrea Adams • Catherine Adams • Emily Adour • Caroline Alpert Azzarelli • Beverly Altenburg • Amanda Alter • Emily Andrews • Colin Atwood • Steven Atwood • Stephanie Austin • Ben Austin • Joseph Azzarelli • Robert M. Bahm • Jan Baker • Melissa Bam • Lindsay Barrett • Austin Barrett • Abigail Baske • Meredith Beauregard • Christopher Beeler • Erin Belfort • Corinne Bell • Trevor Bell • Scott Bender • Josh Benthien • Kate Benthien • Kelly Bidwell • Elizabeth Biermann • David Biermann • Allison L. Blackstone • Jillian Blakeslee • Paul Blakeslee • Ben Blouin • Diane D. Boas • Anna Boniakowski • Chris Boniakowski • Benjamin Bornstein • Lauren Bornstein • Stephen R. Bothel • Patricia Salve Bothel • Shawn Boucher • Nicole Boucher • Kristen Bouterse • Joan Bowden McDonald • Mark Boyer • Emma Brackett • Ellen Brady • Elizabeth Brewer • Robert Brewer • Margaret Brewer • Kat Bridgewater • Steve Brinn • Allie Bromley • Rebecca Brosnan • Samuel Brosnan • Julia Brown • Brett Brown • Craig Brown • Michelle L. Brown • Eric Brown • Molly H. Brown • Janet Brown • Heather Bryant • Natalie Burns • Patrick Butsch • Ricardo Calderon • Gregg Caporoasi • Alison Carignan • Luke Walter Carignan • Megan Carmellini • Bethany Cary • Joan Casey • George Casey • Christine Casterella • James Casterella • Allison Castle-Grandstaff • Rebecca Castoldi • Douglas Castoldi, Jr. • Deborah Cavanaugh • Mary Chapman • Alexis Garmey Chardon • Erika K Charpentier • Joe Charpentier • Jamie Cluchey • Alysa Cohen • Mary Copeland • Wendy Cortese • Patrick Cotter • Katherine Cotter • Megan Cotter • Anne Cranshaw • Doug Cranshaw • Michael Cwiklinski • Michael D’Angelo • Kailee D’Angelo • Monica Dambach • Danielle Dane • Regina R. D'Angelo • William F. D'Angelo • Jeffrey Davis • Anne Davis-Heim • Kevin Davis-Knowlton • Jessica Davis-Knowlton • Emily Day • Bowen T. Depke • Claire Depke • Lisa Derman • Jennifer R. Desena • Dan Desena • Jon Dienstag • Grier Dienstag • Alan Digiovanni • Cadyn Digiovanni • Andrea Anna Douglass Devine  • Anne M. Dobriko • Sarah Dodwell • Gabrielle Done • Eve Downing • Heather A. Drake • Eileen Dunfey • Bruce Dunphey • Bruce Dunphey • Kristin Durkin • William R. Dyer • Dan Eberle • Ben Elowe • P Joy Engel • Dan Espinal • Sarah Espinal • Sharon Etzweiler • John Everett • Vincent E. Faherty • Angela Faherty • Susan E. Farady • Erin Feller • Miranda Ferguson • Adam Fisher • Jennifer Fisher • Laurie Fisher • Abagail Forcier • Alex Forrest • Cory Fox • Julie Furt • Sarah Gagne • Todd Gagne • Katherine Garmey • Emily S. Garvin • Jamie Garvin • Ashley Geller • Bram Geller • Ashley Geller • Kristine Gent • Carolyn Gilbert • David Gilman • Jessica Gilman • Matthew Gilman • Maria Glaser • Elizabeth Mary Glaser • Christopher A. Gorski • Michelle Gorski • Chris B. Gorski • Amber Gorski • Richard B. Gray • Steven Green • Jenny Green • Jaime Green • Elizabeth Greenlaw • Jasbir Grewal • Christine Groff • Matthew Grymek • Jennifer Grymek • Brian Gurr • Evelyn Gurr • Asbjorn Gustafson • Cherie Gustafson • Oscar Gustafson • Patrick Hackett • Erick Hagmann • Cheryl R. Hagmann • Benjamin Hagopian • Jinna Halperin • Julie Halter • Jeffrey Halter • Susan R. Haltof • Diane Hankes • Sean Hanson • Sarah Hanson • Michael Hart • Eric Haskell • Sarah Haskell • Lynda Hastings • Karen Mclean Hessel • Kelli Hickle • Andrew Hickok • Hannah Hill • Sara Hirshon • Natalie Hoch • Lucille Holt-Sottery • Patricia Howard • Lang Hoyt • Susana Measelle Hubbs • Ezra Hug • Crosley Jackson • Emily Jackson • Karen Jackson • David Jacobson • Phebe Jacobson • Jennifer S. Johansson • Jessica G. Johnson • David C. Johnson • Robert B. Johnson • Melissa R. Johnson • Susan Johnston • Maryjane Johnston • Jamie Joncas • Claire L. Joyce • Daniel P. Joyce • Talia Judson • Kevin Justh • Kristina Justh • Emma Kane • David Kane • Whitney Keller • Katherine Kerkam • Charlotte Kerkmann Brewington • Jim Kerney • Dheeraj Khare • Judith Kirklin • Andrea Klayman • Rachel Krause-Hurn • Rob Krauser • Hope Kremer • Elizabeth Lachance • Jason Lachance • Ashley Larose • Steven P. Lavallee • Kara Law • Thomas Alan Lechner • Karen Lechner • Daniel Lechner • Jayne T. Leiner • Dennis Leiner • Edward Lenahan • Marguerite Lenahan • Philip R. Licari • Jessica D. Linzer • Leah Lippmann • Scott Liston • Whitney Liston • Scott Liston • Jeff Little • Christina Livada • Drake Livada • Amy H. Lombardo • Christina Long • Jennifer Loring • Chris Lowenstein • Deborah Lriley • Katherine Lydon • Yasmin Mahal • Theresa Clark Maher • Sarvi Maisak • Patience Maloney • Gerald (Gerry) Manning • Darryl Manning • John Markott • Samaris Markott • Amy Marshall • Laura Marston • Nancy Marston • Peter Marston • Neil Martelle • Angela Marzilli • Eliza Matheson • Elizabeth S. Matheson • Emily Mavodones • Scott Mazuzan • Cliodhna McCarthy • Taylor McFarlane • David McVeigh • Jennifer McVeigh • Rachel Mehlsak • Lisa Melanson • Sara Merrill • Peter S. Merrill • Jim Messerschmidt • Ulla Messerschmidt • Stephanie Mifflin • Brent Miller • Bryan Milward • Hilary Mitchell • Caroline Mitgang • Lee Mitgang • Gina Mitgang • Beverly Moore • Sarah Moran • Tyler Morin • Aaron Morrell • Walter Morse • Sarah Mortimer • Caroline Muller • Elizabeth Murley • Thomas Murley • Lauren G. Murphy • Scott Murphy • Luisa Napolitano • Pasquale Napolitano • Meghan Gildart Nappi • Casey Near • Taylor Neff • Maya Nelson • Richard Nelson, Jr. • Gretchen Noonan • Anastasia Norman • Colleen Oakley • Laura O’Donnell • Anastasia O’Hagan • David O’Hagan • Mark Oliver • Michelle Oliver • Gerad O’Shea • Paulette P. Parker • Andew Patten • Terri Patterson • Tyler Patterson • Anna Patterson • David Patterson • Maris Pauk • Joanna Payne • Heather L. Payson • Deborah Peck • Kevin Pentz • Elly Pepper • Heidi Peterson • Michele Pezzut-Morse • Jenna Isaacson Pfueller • Edmund Pfueller • Mary Pillsbury • Erin Plummer • Andrea Pomakis • Laena Pomeroy • Brendon Pomeroy • Bonnie Porta • Chris Poshpeck • Barbara Powers • Jess Proctor • Tim Proctor • William Proom • Martha Pulsifer • Michael Pulsifer • Jack Queeney • Anne Rasmussen • Isabelle Reeves • Heather Reeves • Katie Reeves • Gilbert Rey • Stephanie Rhodes • Michael Riegelman • Kristin Riley • Michelle Ritchie • Nathan Robbins • Sarah Robbins • James L. Robbins • Meredith Roberts • Bryce Roberts • Sarah Robinson • Meighan Rock • Stephen Rock • Megan Rogers • Drue Rowean • James Rowean • Rev. Donald Rudalevige • Suzanne Rudalevige • Anika Ruisch • Bradley Russell • Hannah Ryan • Terence Ryan • Johann Sabbath • Rebecca Sahlin • Paul Sahlin • Jillian Sample • Jody Sataloff • Jennifer Scarpitti-Nelson • Dana K. Schauf • Gayle Schmidt • Michael Schmidt • Kevin Schohl • Lucie Scholz • Lee Schroeder • Marianne Schuman • Paul Seidman • Kavya Seshachar • Aglae Shaw • Andrew Shaw • Bernadette Shaw • Erica Shubin • Randy Shurpin • Jill Skrabalak • Jillian Smith • Gillian Smith • Sabrina Smith • Devin Snyder • Andrew Sommer • Jim Sparks • Hadley Springer • Henry Springer • Bill Springer • Lauren Springer • Amy Stanley • Emily Steinberg • Francis X. Stevenson • Pamela Stevenson • Regan Stpierre • Ryan Strack • L Strunk • Maura Sullivan • Kathryn Swayze • Andrew Swayze • Brandon Sweet • Corin Swift • Jay Tansey • Paul Tarantola • Eric Taylor • Lori Templeton • Melanie Tennyson • Eric Tennyson • Amelia Tennyson • Courtney Thoreck • Ali Tighe • Jessie A. Timberlake • Lauren Todaro • Bill Toomey • Barbara Toomey • Robert Gilmore Trowbridge • Nina Trowbridge • Madeleine Turgelsky • Abigael Umberger • Carly Vargas • Alex Vargas • Amy Vaz • John Voltz • Matthew Wallent • Kelly Wallent • Rachel Weinstein • Kelin Welborn • Jason Welborn • Barbara Wendell • Lauren Wendell • Eleonore Werner • Hannah White • Clara White • Aislinn White • Heather Marie Wiggins • Dana T. Wigton • Shannon Will • Douglas Williams • Kristin Williams • Casey Williams • David Wright • Gabriele Wright • Matt Yantakosol • Lauren N. York •