Letter to the editor: Now is the time to build new schools in Cape Elizabeth
Please note: This letter reflects opinions regarding the November 2022 school referendum to construct a new, combined elementary and middle school. It does not represent the current 2024 Cape Elizabeth school proposal.
BY BEN HAGOPIAN AND JOY ENGEL
It’s time to vote “yes” for new Cape Elizabeth schools.
Doing nothing to our decaying buildings imperils our teachers’ and students’ safety and learning. Unless the bond passes, the town will continue to pour money into unsafe schools and ancient infrastructure.
A renovation will require a new referendum, which will cost more money and waste time. The renovation cost is not much less than a full rebuild and kicks the can down the road for only a few years.
A rebuild, while expensive, is the best option from a safety, learning and financial perspective.
Cape Elizabeth has been given options to build new schools: $20 million in the 1990s, $75 million in 2020 and $116 million now. There’s a trend here for taxpayers: The longer we wait, the more painful it gets.
Let’s invest in our children, our teachers and our town’s future.
