RSU 40 trustees review Madonna Valley High School renovation plan after $4M state awards; water repairs restore flow

Trustees of RSU 40/MSAD 40 on the board reviewed a recommended renovation plan for Madonna Valley High School that the project team priced at about $27.8 million and trimmed to a recommended district-funded package of roughly $24.9 million after recent state grant awards. Presenters said the district was awarded nearly $4,000,000 through a state revolving renovation program and a separate $2,000,000 ventilation award, and that those grants allow the team to remove major items from the local borrowing ask.

Why it matters: The scope includes life-safety and reliability work—HVAC, asbestos abatement, new sprinklers, science lab upgrades, plumbing, accessibility upgrades and a security vestibule—and backers said the plan is intended to get the building to an operational baseline for the next 20–30 years while minimizing visible extras. The district must decide whether to hold the recommended $24.9 million package, further descope, and how to present the proposal to voters if a warrant article is required to accept grant terms.

The presentation and funding: “We were lucky enough to actually be awarded almost $4,000,000 from the state through our revolving renovation fund applications,” said Speaker 5, the project presenter, describing two awards that reduced the district’s priced scope. Speaker 5 explained portions of some awards are forgiven based on district metrics and the remaining balance can be repaid at 0% over 10 years, and that acceptance of certain grant terms will require a voter warrant article.

Scope and cost drivers: The team’s priced scope included bathroom and locker-room renovations, removal of unit ventilators and installation of a ducted energy-recovery ventilation (ERV) system with dehumidification, new sprinklers (triggered by the extent of work), science-lab upgrades and asbestos abatement, building-controls upgrades and reconfiguration of administrative, art and special-education spaces. The full set of priced items totaled about $27.8 million; the recommended descoped list is presented to the board at roughly $24.9 million.

Board questions and community framing: Board members asked for alternative, lower-cost designs—particularly for locker rooms—and for contingency estimates tied to final design. Speaker 1, a district staff presenter, described a lighter renovation approach that preserves existing plumbing runs and repurposes underused showers for storage to reduce cost while keeping required ADA upgrades and new ventilation. Speaker 6 urged that messaging emphasize fiscal restraint and long-term need, warning that ‘‘if we don’t take some action, then at some point, we’re going to be looking at closing a high school and sending our kids to other high schools.’’

Timing and next steps: The presenters described a phased schedule with abatement and water-quantity work beginning the coming summer, construction continuing through 2027 and into 2028, and most disruptive activity scheduled in summers to limit in-year interruption. The team recommended community engagement tools—short videos, FAQs and talking points—to explain project goals and to frame the proposal as ‘‘a hand up, not a handout,’’ language used repeatedly by board members and presenters.

Water-system emergency and repairs: Separately, district staff reported a recent loss of domestic water at the high school that led to a canceled school day and emergency response. Speaker 3 said the district both replaced an aging well pump and performed a hydrofracturing procedure on the well to open additional flow paths. “We were going from about 9 gallons a minute up to around 45 gallons a minute, give or take,” Speaker 3 said, describing the immediate improvement in quantity after the interventions. The presenter cautioned that well work can mobilize salty water and other constituents, so additional testing was required.

Testing and state approval: District staff reported arsenic testing after the well work showed lower readings than in the previous 18–24 months, but two test results remained pending and the state must review the data before domestic water is approved for drinking and cooking. Speaker 3 said the district expects to be off domestic water for at least three weeks while testing proceeds and state review is completed. District plans also call for upgrades to treatment and additional storage capacity this summer to provide more operational margin.

What’s next: The board will use the presentation and the team’s recommended descoped package to frame a discussion at the full board level. Presenters noted the need for a warrant article to accept state grant terms and asked trustees for feedback on whether to proceed with the current $24.9 million recommendation, to descope further, and on communication materials for a voter outreach campaign.

(Reporting based on the board meeting transcript; decisions requiring formal votes, including any warrant article, were not recorded in this excerpt.)