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Saco school board hears update on new school project and warns of potential loss of energy tax credits
Summary
Superintendent Ray told the board the district will present site approval to the state board on June 27 and could go to bid after building approval; he warned that a state budget change could cut energy credits worth roughly $1,000,000 to the district and urged outreach to Senator Collins.
Superintendent Ray told the Saco Public Schools board on June 11 that the district is moving toward final state approvals for its new school and could begin soliciting construction bids once the state completes building-level approval.
Ray said site approval is scheduled to be presented to the state board on June 27 and that building approval would follow. If approvals proceed, the district expects to open bids around the start of the school year and could be in a position to negotiate contracts in early autumn; Ray said the district has talked about a possible groundbreaking around Halloween.
Why it matters: the project’s financing could change quickly. Ray cautioned board members that a state budget measure under discussion may roll back certain energy tax credits. "We stand to receive upwards of 1000000 dollars in reimbursement for our geothermal heat system," he said, adding that $1,000,000 could be on the low side. Ray asked board members and community supporters to contact Senator Collins to urge preservation or extension of the credits, which the administration said are important to the project’s reimbursement profile.
The superintendent also described a recent site walk the district hosted and encouraged community members to visit the site to gain perspective on the planned building footprint. Administrators explained that the new campus will be a single-story layout with separate early-childhood and elementary footprints; Ray compared the planned elementary square footage to other district buildings to give board members scale.
Board discussion included transportation and site access concerns tied to Route 1 and nearby development. Ray said the district is "locked in" to the current planned site access for now but that future corridor development and MaineDOT decisions (including the possible installation of a stoplight) could change traffic patterns and school-run timing.
Next steps: the administration will present to the state board on June 27 and, if building approval follows, advance to a public bidding process. The superintendent said staff will share more information about the energy-credit proposal and urged the board to support outreach to state legislators to protect reimbursement opportunities.
Attribution: Superintendent Ray delivered the update and the comments on potential energy-credit reimbursement.
