To the Editor:

In March, Little Compton voters will be asked to authorize the borrowing of up to $11 million in the form of a school bond referendum to address health, safety and code deficiencies at the Wilbur McMahon School.

After years of applying band-aids to keep the aging school building functioning, frequently moving students around to ensure safety codes are met, and trying to teach children in spaces that aren’t well suited or equipped for use as classrooms, the time has come to do more than “maintain."

What are these deficiencies? Most of the mechanical systems in the building have exceeded their life expectancy. The costs of repairing and replacing these systems far exceed the town’s ability to “pay as you go”. The amount of work to be done necessitates a comprehensive, organized, well-executed project that has a start date and an end date. 

The school renovation project has been discussed and studied for nearly seven years, with several designs having been considered, each with different objectives and costs. During this time, we have also seen a dramatic change in the economy. Accordingly, the project scope has evolved over the past 18 months with the objective of limiting its focus to correcting those deficiencies directly related to the health and safety of our students and community.  The proposed renovation project will address roofing, fire protection/alarm, hazardous material removal, air quality, mechanical systems, electrical, plumbing, handicap accessibility and other safety and health-related issues. Prior plans to expand the scope of renovation have been abandoned.

Although a moratorium currently exists on School Housing Aid from the state, our school district worked hard with our State Sen. Lou DiPalma in securing Board of Regents approval for our project. The Board of Regents has agreed to fund 40 percent of the principal and interest on our renovation, but has limited this funding to those improvements directly related to health and safety. RI General Assembly approval is required and anticipated.

What will it cost? The maximum cost of renovations and construction to Wilbur McMahon School will not exceed $11,306,519. Recognizing the immediate fragility of our facility, the Rhode Island Department of Education has already approved $311,000 in emergency funds for school repairs (reimbursable at 40%), which leaves the town with a balance of $10,995,519 in renovation costs. As mentioned above, the state aid portion of this project will cover at least 40% of those costs. The state aid will come in the form of a rebate paid by the RI Department of Education as School Housing Aid.

What is the most economical and efficient way to pay for this renovation project? The Little Compton School Committee and the Little Compton Town Council both recommend that integrating all the required work into one well-coordinated project and financing that project in the form of a school bond is the most cost effective way to execute the required body of work.

How will this bond impact taxes? If you secure a bond that is financed for 20 years at an interest rate of 5 percent, it will cause the property tax rate to increase by $0.27 cents to $5.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For example, if your house is assessed at $250,000, your cost to renovate the school will add $67 to your tax bill.

The Building Committee would like to ensure that every resident of Little Compton has the opportunity to understand the nature of the project we are proposing. We’ve outlined what we believe are the key points in a newsletter that will be mailed to all town residents in the next few weeks. We also strongly encourage all residents to attend one of the three public hearings the Little Compton School Building Committee is planning for February and March. Once dates are confirmed with other participating town committees, we will inform town residents.  

It is our hope that the voters of Little Compton will approve this integrated plan for the work that is necessary to create a safer, healthier and code-compliant educational environment we can all be proud of.  Your support will be not only an investment in the school and the students, but more importantly, an investment in the future of a building that is so vital to our community.

Thomas Allder
Little Compton School Building Committee Chairman