Bar Harbor School Board Chair Will Likely Not Run Again
Tariffs Impact School Rebuild
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BAR HARBOR—As concerns over potential steel and other tariffs heighten worries about the construction costs of the new Conners Emerson School, Bar Harbor School Committee Chair Lilea Simis told school board members Monday night that she is unlikely to run again.
“I am not planning to run again. I really feel like—I believe in term limits. I really want to put a lot of energy into the fundraising,” for the new school, Simis said.
Her term is up in June. She’s been on the board for the past nine years and helped shepherd the board both through the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of the school construction process.
“I might end up at every meeting anyway,” she said, giving a fundraising report on the school construction. “It’s not a negative thing for me. It’s been nine years…. I feel like I want to give someone else—who has children in the school—the chance to participate.”
Simis’ focus on fundraising is for the June 2023 voter-approved $58 million bond for the construction of the school on the same site as the current Conners Emerson School.
It also comes at a time when tariffs on Canadian steel and other construction supplies from Mexico could potentially increase the cost to the Conners Emerson School rebuild.
On Tuesday, February 10, President Trump signed a duo of proclamations. Those imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum. The tariffs would be for all countries. Those were paused and now go into effect today, March 4, for both Canada and Mexico. There is another 10 percent tariff on China. There is a planned March 12 25% tariff on steel from all over the world. Talks about potential tariffs on copper imports have been discussed.
In return, Canada has imposed a 25 percent tariff at 12:01 a.m. on $30 billion in goods. It is unclear what products those are on. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that in 21 days those tariffs would expand and include $125 billion of American goods.
In preparation for those tariffs, Conners Emerson contractor, Wright-Ryan, has been trying to get a majority of the materials to the site sooner than originally planned.
“We worked really hard and got that delivery and started that process,” School Superintendent Mike Zboray said.
There is approximately $2.5 million of steel in the contract for the work. Then if the cost goes above that due to outside factors, such as a tariff, it is the town’s responsibility to make up the difference per the contract, Zboray said.
If the contractors had not already been trying to bring the steel in prior to the tariff’s commencement, it could have been up to $500,000 if it had been all the steel used. That worst case scenario is not going to happen because some of the steel is already in Bar Harbor.
“It’s still a possibility and there’s been a lot of back and forth about what it can mean,” Zboray said of the tariffs on imports such as aluminum and electrical supplies. “If tariffs are put on those materials, then we have to pay those tariffs.”
Zboray has sent a letter to Senator Susan Collins (R), Senator Angus King (I), and Representative Jared Golden (D) explaining the school’s situation.
In the meantime, construction is continuing and earning at least one student fan.
“I have one student who has been carrying around a clipboard with all the plans on it,” said Conners Emerson Principal Dr. Heather Weir Webster.
That student gets to see the foreman once a week and get updates. Some other students are truck-obsessed, so when something new happens, they are on it, she said.
The school is also trying to mitigate for noise particularly for the fourth graders whose windows face the construction.
“The fourth-graders: I think they are all going to be contractors,” Dr. Webster said. “I’m still glad though that we’re still in the building and not scattered across the town.”
In the meantime, Simis has started to recruit some members of the fundraising committee for the school and has three so far. She’d like to have six. Town Manager James Smith is meeting with the fundraising consultants on Thursday.
“The ball is rolling much faster than it has in a long time,” Simis said.
Papers are available to take out for school board positions. Incumbent Tyson Starling is also up for re-election. He expects to run again.
“It doesn’t mean that I won’t try again sometime,” Simis told the board. She just wants to focus primarily on fundraising and trying to alleviate the tax payer’s burden.
“I’m just a little bit in shock,” Starling said. “We will miss you.”
“I won’t be a stranger,” she promised.
HOW TO RUN IN BAR HARBOR
Beginning Monday, March 3, 2025, nomination papers are available at the town clerk’s office, 93 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor.
Deadline for filing nomination papers is Friday, April 11, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
The residents of Bar Harbor will vote for these elected officials at their annual municipal election on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the town office, 93 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor.
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