Maine voters approved a bond issue last week that will provide $19 million to public schools and libraries throughout the state. The UMaine System (UMS) will receive $4.5 million from the bond, which will be used to upgrade classrooms and science labs on all seven campuses. The newly renamed Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) system will get $12 million, or 63 percent of the money, $1 million of the remaining funds will go to the Maine Maritime Academy and $1.5 million to the State’s public libraries.
“The community college system pressed forward on their own (they are a separate system) to ask for funds. The university system developed its own bond proposal including a request for considerable funds to renovate Bailey Hall,” wrote USM President Richard Pattenaude via email.
In the following months, USM cut its share of the proposal to the more humble proposition that voters approved last Tuesday.
“All this started approximately 12 months ago with a request to the board of trustees,” Pattenaude wrote. This was the first time community and state colleges have joined to support a bond in Maine.
Of the $4.5 million awarded to UMS, $2 million will be used to build new classrooms and office space at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College (LAC). Pattenaude said that despite recent expansions at LAC the branch is close to full capacity. Of the remaining $2 million marked for system-wide renovations, Pattenaude wrote, “we are hoping to get $500,000 aimed at renovating undergraduate science labs either in Bailey Hall or in the science building in Portland.” Pattenaude said those renovations and additions should be completed within a year.
Portland voters voted strongly in favor of the bond, with 14,703 in favor and 7,962 voting against. The race was closer in Gorham, with 2992 voting yes, versus 2605 voting no. At the state level, the vote was 214,306 (54 percent) for the bond, and 185,725 (46 percent) against it.
John Bronson can be reached at [email protected]