It’s time for Maine to take a long, hard look at how it funds its schools. The voting-day experiences last week of two southern Maine communities – Cumberland and North Yarmouth – provide a good starting point for a further-reaching conversation. A referendum for a $53.
5 million school bond was narrowly approved at the ballot box Tuesday. How narrowly? By 49 votes. The multimillion-dollar bond will fund the construction of a new school for pre-K to first grade students, as well as a new high school turf field, new maintenance buildings, four new classrooms, and other school, road and parking upgrades.
These are valuable, needed improvements. Their return on investment is far, far more secure than many other categories of public spending. It follows that projects like these, in these communities and others all across Maine, shouldn’t only be achievable by scrabbling around locally for their funding.
The improvement and updating of our schools simply shouldn’t be at the patchwork-quilt mercy of voters alone. The narrow margin in Cumberland and North Yarmouth last week shows how risky this “model” is – and this in a pair of communities generally regarded as politically progressive and not at an economic disadvantage. The case for investment in students is clear and easily made.
Municipalities are wrongly forced to balance that against the burden they propose placing on their taxpayers – including older adults and empty-nesters, for whom the upsides of school sp.
