RSU 22 board approves warrant, schedules Oct. 21 public hearing and Nov. 4 referendum on school construction
5917986 · September 30, 2025
Summary
The RSU 22 School Board unanimously approved the warrant calling a Nov. 4, 2025 referendum on a school construction project and set a public hearing for Oct. 21, 2025 at 7 p.m.; staff said the project will be paid from funds set aside and not by a bond.
The RSU 22 School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved the warrant calling a referendum on a school construction project for Nov. 4, 2025, and set a public hearing for Oct. 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the district library, with the performing arts center named as an alternate venue if attendance exceeds the library capacity.
Board Chair (name not specified) opened the discussion by noting that the board had already approved the referendum language going to the ballots of the district's four towns and that “It will be voted on, on election day.”
Nick (staff member) provided procedural background, saying the warrant and notice use the same language the board previously approved and that the documents were prepared by the district’s legal team. He told the board the packets include signature lines and that a set of signatures is required to process the warrant and notices.
A board motion to approve the warrant and call the referendum for Nov. 4, 2025 passed unanimously; the motion’s second was recorded as Shelly. A separate motion to approve the notice of public hearing and hold the hearing on Oct. 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. also passed unanimously (mover: Stacy; second: Jessica). The transcript records the votes as unanimous but does not include a roll-call tally.
Board members and staff described how the Oct. 21 public hearing will proceed: staff will present visual and verbal plans for the building, show photos of the existing facility, and explain funding. Nick said the district will invite UTC students or instructors to describe their role in the project and will have the facilities director present technical details. The hearing will include an opportunity for questions from the public.
On funding, a board member, Faith, reminded the group that the referendum language and staff communications will make clear that “there is no bond on this, or on this building and then it'll be paid for out of funds already in a fund set aside for it.” Nick confirmed that the funding statement is included in the referendum language.
Board members discussed outreach and notice: the district will post the hearing the same way it publicizes board meetings, the schools will include the notice in their newsletters, and the district Facebook page will carry the announcement.
Staff described signature requirements inconsistently during the meeting: at one point Nick said a total of 16 signatures would be needed across the documents; later another participant said there are five copies per town, which the speaker characterized as “actually 20.” The transcript does not reconcile those figures; the board did not record a final corrected signature count at the meeting.
After the votes the board proceeded to sign the warrants in the usual order and planned to adjourn when signing was complete. The next formal public opportunity to comment on the project will be the Oct. 21 public hearing.
