Ballot Question Wording

Here is the language that will appear on the November 5 ballot in Gray and New Gloucester:

MSAD 15 Referendum Questions

Question 1: Do you favor authorizing the School Board of Maine School Administrative District No. 15 (the “District”) to issue bonds and other evidences of indebtedness in the name of the District in an amount not to exceed $8,914,073, including $6,522,445 of grant/loan funding through the State of Maine’s School Revolving Renovation Fund (“SRRF”) Program to pay costs of indoor air quality renovations and improvements at Gray-New Gloucester High School, Gray-New Gloucester Middle School, Burchard A. Dunn School, and Memorial School (the “Project”)?

A. SRRF Program Funding. The Maine Department of Education has awarded the District $6,522,445 of Project funding through the State’s SRRF Program, which provides funds as a combination of a grant and an interest free loan:

1. Loan Principal Forgiveness: As a grant under the SRRF program, the Maine Municipal Bond Bank will forgive 47.34% of the loan principal (up to an estimated $3,087,726).

2. Interest Free Loan: The District will only be obligated to repay 52.66% (up to an estimated $3,434,719) of the District’s SRRF award over a period of ten (10) years at an interest rate of zero percent (0.00%).

B. Supplemental Bond. Up to $2,391,628 of Project costs may be financed through a supplemental bond issued at local expense and at market interest rates. The supplemental bond shall pay Project costs not covered by the SRRF program.

Question 2: Do you favor authorizing the School Board of Maine School Administrative District No. 15 (the “District”) to issue bonds or notes in the name of the District for school construction and minor capital project purposes in an amount not to exceed $57,036,400 to construct and equip the following projects:

1. An addition, renovations, and improvements to the Gray-New Gloucester High School for the purpose of creating a dedicated auditorium space for District-wide use, including the installation of theater seating and creation of music classrooms;

2. Renovations and improvements to the existing Gray-New Gloucester High School cafetorium and kitchen for the purpose of developing a new and efficient food service kitchen and dedicated cafeteria;

3. A new regulation-sized gymnasium at Gray-New Gloucester High School for District-wide use;

4. New athletics fields and renovations and improvements to existing athletics fields, including outdoor bathroom facilities, at Gray-New Gloucester Middle School and Gray-New Gloucester High School for District-wide use;

5. New parking and reconfiguration of existing parking at Gray-New Gloucester High School including the addition of approximately 120 new parking spaces (note: an earlier draft of this question said 189 spaces; we have corrected the error) to facilitate the flow of traffic; and

6. A new sprinkler system at the Gray-New Gloucester High School to comply with required state and local renovation codes?

Question 3: If Question 2 is approved, do you favor the installation of an artificial turf surface at the competition performance field at the Gray-New Gloucester High School (the “Turf Project”), and authorizing the School Board of Maine School Administrative District No. 15 (the “District”) to issue additional bonds or notes in an amount not to exceed $702,735 to finance the Turf Project?