RSU 40/MSAD 40’s finance committee recommended that the district board approve a package of summer capital-improvement projects that would replace failing systems and add energy upgrades, including a new septic field at the high school and a central biomass heating plant with propane backup.

The recommendation came after a presentation by Energy Efficiency Investments staff on the scope, phasing and funding for projects planned for summer 2025 and into 2026, including controls upgrades, insulation work, window replacement and ventilation improvements at multiple schools.

Energy Efficiency Investments’ project lead Carrie Worms, who presented the plan, said the work responds to older, end-of-life equipment and is being phased to fit the district’s budget and available grants. “Starting in the fall, really, we’ve been looking at how to take that large immediate need project list and break it up into projects that make the most sense to do throughout the next few summers,” Worms said. She described a three-phase approach that started in summer 2024 and continues through 2026–27.

Worms said the proposals include work already under way—controls upgrades at Union and conversion of pneumatic controls at Miller—and larger summer projects such as a replacement septic disposal field at the high school sited next to the softball fields so “we are not going to be touching that tree farm.” She said the new disposal field will use concrete chambers and be returned to level ground so it can still be used for practice space.

The plan also calls for a central biomass plant located on the high-school campus that would serve the high school and middle school. Jeremy Kilburn, introduced as a project manager with EEI, described the plant as an enclosed building with a rake feed system and no outdoor silo. Kilburn said the plant would be piped underground across campus, take the two schools off oil and use wood chips as the primary fuel with propane as backup.

The presenters said the biomass option came with a $300,000 rebate from Efficiency Maine and an anticipated annual payment to the district of about $15,000 from Maine’s thermal renewable-energy-credit program (TREC) based on verified usage. “Part of what made it so appealing is we were able to get a $300,000 rebate from Efficiency Maine for a large biomass system, as well as around $15,000 a year through the main thermal rack called the TREC program,” Worms said.

Presenters also described project financing. Worms said the district plans a tax-exempt lease-purchase to cover some work and provided cost context for earlier items: “that will bring the total yearly payment, which includes energy savings at $65,000 and the $15,000, up to 510,000,” she said. The presentation noted the district will continue to seek revolving renovation grants and other state programs to reduce local costs.

On grants and competitive funding, Worms said the district has experience with the state revolving-renovation program and last cycle received roughly half the available funds: “Of the $4,000,000 that was available last year cycle, our project received $2,000,000,” she said, and staff plan to submit applications for ventilation and air-handler work at Union, Friendship and Miller in October and expect awards in February if successful.

Committee members asked facility and finance questions about retrofit needs and supply logistics for biomass fuel. Kilburn said the heating distribution in the schools will use existing piping and that the high-school boiler room will be demoed and freed up for other uses once the central plant is online. Committee members raised sourcing concerns for wood chips and community messaging; presenters said they would get multiple quotes for fuel and that staff would develop outreach materials and a possible ground-breaking or press release to explain the projects to voters.

The finance committee proceeded to recommend the package to the school board. During the meeting, a committee member asked, “Do we wanna go and make a recommendation that to the board to approve capital improvement summer projects?” and the group called for approval; the meeting record shows the committee moved to recommend approval though a formal roll-call vote was not recorded in the transcript.

Next steps described in the meeting: staff will finish design and procurement for summer work, prepare revolving-renovation grant applications due in October, and produce a public-facing summary for the district website and mailers ahead of the budget vote.

Why it matters: the projects target failing mechanical systems and ventilation issues the district has tracked for years, seek to reduce future heating fuel costs, and rely on a mix of local financing and state incentives that affect the district’s annual budget and long-term maintenance costs.