By Rick Wright

Staff Writer 

South Portland residents will be asked to approve a $44.1 million high school renovation bond this fall if the city council agrees to put the question on the ballot.

The cost is $2 million more than projected two months ago because of material, labor and construction costs officials expect to increase before the March 2012 project begins.

Dan Robbins of Harriman Architects and Engineers, the firm that designed the project, said the project would be finished by March 2015.

“We’re trying to budget for something two years out plus it will be three more years before you get the keys,” Robbins said.  “It’s not an easy project. It takes a long time to phase it in.”

On May 10, the board of education voted unanimously to send the high school renovation plan to a November referendum with a tentative price of $41.9 million. 

That figure was based on December 2009 expenses. At the May 10 meeting, several board members cited cost savings as a major reason for voting in November instead of waiting until June 2011 or later, as has been suggested.

 “We have a responsibility to the taxpayers to save them money,” said board member Sara Goldberg. “If we wait any longer on this, it’s going to cost a lot more.”

Secondary Schools Facilities Committee member Ralph Baxter Jr. said the board approved the lower-priced plan with the understanding it could change. Baxter also is the school board’s vice chairman.

School superintendent Suzanne Godin said the board does not need to vote on the new price because it has already approved the building plan and the decision to go to a November referendum.  

“We need to update the board but not get a new vote,” Godin said.

On June 28, committee members will ask the council to add the bond issue to November’s ballot. That decision must be made by late July or early August in time for the November referendum, said City Clerk Susan Mooney.

In related business, the Secondary Schools Facilities Committee accepted a 14-page communications plan from Don Russell, a marketing professional who donated time to help develop a strategy to sell the renovation plan to voters.

Referring to the document as a “voter education plan,” Russell told the committee, “This, in my viewpoint, is like a GPS. It should provide you with a way to navigate between point A and point B.”

Russell’s proposal was based on results of an April 20 workshop to shape the message for the campaign.

The workshop, led by Russell, included several members of the public and some members of the facilities committee. 

The report made a number of specific recommendations for communication tactics. They included creating a public service ad, sending press releases to all media that cover South Portland and developing a website with e-mail.

Russell’s plan offers general recommendations including organizing a partnership with a public entity to serve as the lead advocate; forming an alliance with the city council; recruiting younger parents to be volunteers and supporters and letting past, current and future students participate. 

The plan was referred to the communication subcommittee, which will study it and report back to the facilities committee June 30 with specific recommendations based on Russell’s suggestions. Implementation will follow the June 30 meeting. 

“The thoroughness is everything we could have hoped for. This is a tremendous resource for us,” Godin said of the report. 

Rick Wright can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237 or news@inthesentry.com.