Cape Elizabeth, ME — 5/22/25— 

The Cape Elizabeth School Board has unanimously endorsed the proposed school bond on the June 10 ballot, emphasizing that the plan is the most fiscally responsible and educationally sound path forward to address the town’s aging school infrastructure.

The board comprises residents with diverse professional backgrounds, life experiences, and family situations. Some have young children in the district; others have children who have already graduated. A few may never have children walk through the doors of the new school. But all seven members share a common belief: Cape Elizabeth must act now to invest in its future.

“I strongly support building a new middle school and making significant improvements to our elementary school building,” said Phil Saucier, School Board Chair and father of a 6th grader and 4th grader. “Our architects and owner's representatives have let us know that the middle school building is beyond its useful life. Renovation would still require tens of millions of dollars, years of portable classrooms, and wouldn’t solve the core problems. I recognize this is a significant expense, but it’s a necessary and important investment in our community. It's time.”

Cindy Voltz, School Board Vice Chair, mother of two Cape Elizabeth High School graduates, and member of the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC), agreed. “I support the school bond because I believe in the value of public education and the importance of investing in our schools. We've been studying this issue for nearly 10 years. Rebuilding is the lowest-cost long-term solution, and delaying only makes it more expensive. Safe, modern facilities benefit everyone.”

Board member Jennifer McVeigh, an educator and mother of two high school students, emphasized the importance of long-term thinking. “I supported the middle school bond three times, even though my own children won’t walk through the doors of the new school. I did it because I believe in leaving things better for the next generation. Our kids deserve safe, modern spaces to learn and grow — and it’s up to us to make that possible. I trust the experts who have spent years studying the needs of our schools and designing a plan that is fiscally, environmentally, and educationally responsible. We’re in this position because previous generations kicked the can down the road without a long-term plan, and that short-sightedness has caught up with us. Now is the time to act.”

Chris Boniakowski, father of a 4th grader and 2nd grader, added: “A majority of our community agrees Cape Elizabeth needs to invest in our school infrastructure. This project delivers what our students and teachers deserve—and it does so in a way that reduces the total tax burden over time compared to repeated renovations. It’s the right thing to do.”

Joy Engel, parent of a second grader and a rising kindergartener, shared a personal perspective. “My parents moved to Cape Elizabeth when I was in high school, and in 2018 I returned with my own young family. I feel so lucky to raise my children in a town I love. I believe this plan is the right compromise. I trust the experts when they say there is no real solution that doesn’t include rebuilding the Middle School. It is my sincerest hope that this plan will pass on June 10 so we can finally move forward as a community—together.”

Lee Schroeder, parent of a Rising Freshman at Cape Elizabeth HS and Citizen Committed to Continuing Cape's Public School Excellence, underscored the educational stakes: “Every child deserves access to an excellent public school education. In Cape Elizabeth, we have the teachers, the administration, the educational programming, and the supportive community needed to provide all Cape kids with an excellent public school education. What we do not have are school facilities that are consistent with this standard.While each of our buildings require investment, it is clear that replacing the middle school is the most urgent facility issue that needs to be addressed. As a community, we have an obligation to make the needed investments in our school facilities that are necessary to support the educational needs of students while being fiscally responsible. I believe that the proposed school building plan and referendum will allow us as a community to make meaningful progress on meeting that obligation.”

Caitlin Sweet, a mother of three and former SBAC member, focused on the cost-efficiency of new construction: “My time on the SBAC taught me a lot about our schools, primarily that any renovation or rehab of our middle school that fully addressed the safety issues and right sizing classrooms would be prohibitively expensive, let alone all the other secondary needs we’re trying to address. The fact that the building is almost all load bearing walls just makes renovation impossible. I take my responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars extremely seriously; I support building a new middle school because I believe any other option would be a misuse of those taxpayer dollars; if we’re going to ask for tens of millions of dollars we need to use it to fix a problem, not to put some duct tape on and hope it holds.”

The Cape Elizabeth School Board urges all residents to vote on June 10.

Polling will take place at the Cape Elizabeth High School gymnasium from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Absentee ballots are also available through the Town Clerk’s office.