In just a matter of days, Cape Elizabeth residents will be deciding whether or not to approve a $94.7 million school improvement plan, including the construction of a new middle school for $89.9 million.

Voters will also be asked to authorize the expenditure of nearly $1.7 million worth of gifts and grants to install solar panels on the new middle school once construction is completed.

Question 1 — which seeks approval for the $94.7 million school improvement proposal — was unanimously supported by the school board, while the Town Council indicated opposition to the proposal by a vote of four to three.

The proposal at the heart of this question includes the $89.9 million “Middle Ground School Project Design” developed after two years of deliberation by the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC), as well as a $4.8 million addition proposed by Chairman Tim Reiniger that would preserve part of the existing middle school. The town has not yet decided, however, how this property would be used in the future.

The Middle Ground proposal includes plans to construct a new middle school, as well as to make a number of essential upgrades to the elementary and high schools.

An updated document from the Town’s Bond Counsel, Joe Cuetara, breaks down the long term tax impact that these projects would have on residents if the $94.7 million bond is approved at the ballot box in November.

Based on a rate of 3.5 percent over thirty years, Cape Elizabeth residents are expected to see their property taxes increase a total of 12.2 percent over the course of several years, beginning with a 2 percent hike in the 2026/2027 tax year.

This will be followed by a 6.1 percent increase the following year and a 4.1 percent raise in the third year.

The final payment on this bond, if approved, would be made by the Town on November 1, 2057.

Click Here to See the Full Tax Impact Report

In August, Town Council rejected Chairman Reiniger’s $42 million alternative that represented a pared back version of this proposal that would only make “critically needed building repairs and renovations” to the school buildings instead of constructing an entirely new building.

Mid-July, the Cape Elizabeth School Board voted unanimously in opposition to supporting Reiniger’s $42 million alternative. School Board member Caitlin Sweet was absent from that meeting.

This vote was largely mirrored by the Town Council during their meeting on August 15 when they decided in a vote of four to three against advancing Reiniger’s alternative.

Question 2 asks voters whether or not they would like to authorize the Town Council to spend $1.65 million worth of gifts and grants on the installation of solar panels on the new middle school once construction is complete.

Both the School Board and Town Council have unanimously supported this proposal, as is indicated on the ballot.

According to the Treasurer’s Statement included on the ballot, the Town had a total of $4.755 million worth of bonds outstanding as of June 30, 2024.

Including an estimated interest cost of $59,922,800, Question 1 would cost the Town a total of $154,622,800 if approved.

In addition to these local questions, Cape Elizabeth voters will also be tasked with weighing in on five statewide ballot questions, including one citizens’ initiative, three bonds, and one proposal from the State Legislature.

A detailed overview of these five questions by the Maine Wire is available here: These Five Questions Will Be On the Ballot in Maine This November.

Additional information from the Maine Wire about what to expect on this year’s ballot is available here: Everything You Need to Know About Casting Your Ballot in the Upcoming Election.