SAD 46 residents vote on DRHS roof project

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DEXTER — On Tuesday, April 12 residents in the SAD 46 communities of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley headed to the polls for a referendum on a proposed roof renovation/improvement project at Dexter Regional High School — results were not available as of presstime. The project was the subject of a public hearing on April 5 at the Ridge View Community School.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

ROOF REFERENDUM FOR DRHS — On Tuesday, April 12 SAD 46 residents were scheduled to vote on a referendum to fund repairs to the Dexter Regional High School roof over the gym, locker room and music area. The district was awarded $685,600 from the Department of Education’s School Revolving Renovation Fund, with the state covering nearly $480,000 (70 percent) of the project costs and SAD 46 assuming the remaining 30 percent with the $205,680 being able to be paid back over 10 years through a no-interest loan.

“The school district has applied for a School Revolving Renovation Fund grant,” Superintendent Kevin Jordan said, saying for the first time in several years the Department of Education (DOE) has such monies available for high priority school improvement projects. “There is a section on the west part of the building that has not been updated in many, many years,” he said with the roof over the gym, adjacent locker rooms and nearby music area in need of fixing.

Jordan said the Dexter Regional High School roof renovations are ranked fifth on the School Revolving Renovation Fund list project ratings, with the $685,600 funding package approved by the DOE in January. The project was given the highest priority status as the improvements would be for health, safety and compliance repairs.

“The Department of Education said because we receive more than 70 percent of our funding from the state we qualify for the highest forgiveness rate,” Jordan said. He said 70 percent, nearly $480,000, would be forgiven by the state and SAD 46 would only have to cover $205,680 or 30 percent of the costs.

“We are allowed to bond that out over 10 years at a 0 percent interest rate,” Jordan said, with SAD 46 having to pay $20,568 annually over the next decade. “We are asking taxpayers for $205,680 over 10 years at 0 percent interest,” the superintendent said.

The total project costs would be used for “a complete upgrade of the roof and any new structural pieces,” Jordan said to make the areas fully compliant. “Essentially what they would be doing is adding an additional joist to each one we have now to get us up to code.”

The roof surfaces would be redone with new membranes as the existing membranes and insulation are nearing the end of their useful lives. The roof is estimated to be about 30 years old, and when asked Jordan said he was unsure of the life expectancy of the new structure.

The superintendent said if the referendum question is approved, then SAD 46 officials will go out to bid for the project architect and engineers. He said these firms will then put the project out to general contractors. “We have to go with the low bidder,” Jordan said, in accordance with DOE regulations. Work bids will need to be at or beneath the $685,600 threshold in order for the project to proceed.

“My opinion, it’s a very cost-effective way to upgrade your roof,” Jordan said.

At the end of the April 5 session, he was asked about the long-term plans for Dexter Regional High School which opened in the late 1960s. Jordan said in recent years the district has talked with nearby school units, with discussions with officials in RSU 19 of the Newport area ending as that district opted to pursue a new facility for Nokomis Regional High School.

He said there has been more talk with representatives of SAD 4 in Guilford and a bit of discussion with RSU 68 in Dover-Foxcroft. “Over the years there’s been lots of conversation, more recently there’s been no real conversation,” Jordan said. He added that SAD 46’s student population has remained stable in the last decade while some other districts in the region have seen a drop in pupil counts.