Conners Emerson's Fence is Up For Construction

Oct 08, 2024

BAR HARBOR—Some students took an opportunity today to hug some trees teary goodbyes before the construction fences went up at the Conners Emerson School Monday afternoon.

Change can be good, but also hard to take in sometimes.

The trees are still up and now a fence is, too. The fence is a visible and concrete step toward the school’s reconstruction and eventual demolition.

In June 2023, Bar Harbor voters passed a $58 million bond to rebuild the ailing schools, which were built in the 1950s and support the town’s K-8 population. Broken boilers, rain inundation, a wall pulling away from the foundation, poor air exchanges, limited classroom space, and a lack of insulation are just some of the buildings’ recent problems.

At the time, former Conners Emerson School Committee member Robin Sue Tapley said, “We are literally sinking, collapsing, caving in, whatever you want to call it. This building will not be safe forever, whether it’s ceiling tiles coming down, air quality, walls coming out.”

The bond passed 1,005 to 502.

Construction was expected to begin this summer, but was delayed after the project bids came in $11 million over the budget, which required some tweaks to the plans and negotiations. Then, the project had to wait for a state DEP permit, which it received last week.

“Having the construction area is going to be different and hard at times,” Principal Dr. Heather Weir Webster told Conners-Emerson School Committee members on Monday.

Dr. Webster said they were trying even harder to make sure that school is a place where students wanted to be and that administration and staff are looking for some ways to “make smiles” and to make that transition easier.

“We know it’s going to be hard for everyone,” Dr. Webster said.

The fence is part of getting the site ready for construction. Dr. Webster said that shipping containers that were on site have been moved to the McEachern & Hutchins in Bar Harbor and thanked Eben Salvatore for that help and placement.

The trailers store P.E. equipment and furniture that had to be moved for mandatory distance requirements during COVID-19 pandemic(matts for gymnastic, snowshoes, furniture still from COVID and bookshelves). The sports equipment is moved in and out by season.

“Our custodians are working heard getting the site ready for construction such as clearing brush for new parking spots, moving the shipping containers off site and cleaning up debris behind the building,” Dr. Webster said in her principal’s report.

Every two weeks the administration meets virtually with the contractors Wright Ryan and Harriman Associates, which is the architectural firm that designed the building.

The board also quickly discussed potential geothermal heating and potential government funding if the school uses that as a heating system.

School Superintendent Michael Zboray said the school is applying for Efficiency Maine funds. The school has also reached out to Angus King’s office, Zboray said.

The bus lane will be closed to all traffic 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day during construction, so if parents or guardians need to drop off a student, they will need to find a parking space and walk down to the office.

Currently, any potential groundbreaking ceremony will likely be the first week of November and confined to the school community.

STAFFING

“I think we’re finally fully staffed,” Dr. Webster said.

Two ed techs are coming over from the park service, she said. Eli Shahan and Jennifer Vanegas start on November 1.

DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR

Dr. Webster said that she’s heading to a seminar about Maine’s “Dangerous Behavior” law that was instituted in 2019.

According to the MEA, which advocated for the law, “the Dangerous Behavior law defines ‘dangerous behavior’ as the ‘behavior of a student that presents a risk of injury or harm to students or others.’ If this behavior occurs in a school the law dictates that a process must be followed to protect educators and other students.”

The law doesn’t “take precedence over IDEA or any other law that covers” SPEC students or those with IEPs.

Dr. Webster said she was looking for clarity about what is in the law and what the school’s responsibilities are.

PRELIMINARY BUDGET

The school committee reviewed its preliminary budget. There are no positions added or taken away in the upcoming budget and there may be a smaller kindergarten enrollment than projected.

Currently, the carryover from the last budget cycle is $800,000. Part of that is because there have been salary savings (due to some lower experience levels and retiring teachers with more experience) and more state revenue money. Other savings has come from staff opting out of insurance.

There’s an expected increase in electricity cost because of the school construction.

“There are some costs that are going to be associated with the construction that aren’t in the construction budget,” Dr. Webster said.

Teacher contracts increase the expenses as does the line for substitutes.

The difference is a lower budget by approximately $205,167 at $6,8882,314.

In 1997, enrollment was at 518. It is now at 348 and projected to lower to 335 in 2025. In the 2015-2016 school year there were 46.2 teachers. Now there are 52.8. The cost of living increase for 2025, is estimated at 2.5%

The school has to get the budget to the town on January 8, 2025. It then is looked at by both the Town Council and Warrant Committee, which will recommend to pass it or not. The ultimate fate of the budget is determined by voters in June 2025.

YMCA BUSSING

Zboray met with Bar Harbor Town Manager James Smith last week and reviewed the memorandum of understanding that the MDI YMCA provides free bus transportation for the school to the Y’s afterschool program. There have been issues in the past about the YMCA finding drivers.

“It’s part of the MOU,” Zboray said and that’s part of the funds the town is providing yearly to the YMCA.

He said that he and Smith will be meeting with Ann Tikkanen soon.

DATA ON ONE-YEAR LEAVE OF ABSENCES

The board discussed the data that had been requested on one-year leave of absences. Throughout the school district, teachers are allowed to request these.

In 2019 there were none. In 2020, there were two. In 2021, there was one. In 2023 there were two.

Of those six requests, five had been from the Conners-Emerson School. Of those five, three did not return to Conners Emerson. One did return immediately. Another returned eventually.

Vice Chair Marie Yarborough asked how the policy helps students. The past discussion has often centered around how the board wants to support teachers but also worries that those teachers won’t return. Discussion has often focused on board members not feeling like they have enough information on each individual case to make a good decision about the requests, some of which, they stressed, are important and needed.