(Originally Published February 1, 2016)
To: All RSU2 residents, staff and families
RE: New Monmouth Middle School Construction Project
In 2009 Monmouth/RSU2 applied for State of Maine Department of Education funding to replace the current Monmouth Middle School (MMS). MMS was placed 9th on the DOE priority list, and has recently been approved to move forward with the planning and development process, allowing us to begin the process of designing and building a new educational facility.
The RSU2 Board of Directors has created a committee to lead the process of working through the state process for the funding of the new facility. The committee is comprised of the following individuals: RSU2 Board Directors (one from each of the five communities), Principals from all three Monmouth schools, RSU2 directors of Business and Facilities, RSU2 superintendent, Monmouth Selectman, Community Members. The Mission of the Committee is:
Building a safe, efficient educational environment that inspires students, meets the needs of our staff, and reflects the needs of the community.
Although this facility will primarily serve students and staff in Monmouth, this is an RSU2 project, and will ultimately be approved by all RSU2 voters. As the committee begins working through the DOE process, there will be multiple public forums to exchange information and get feedback from residents, including, proposed site for new facility, school design, athletic facilities and other important elements.
The process of completing the DOE required steps and finalizing the design of the building is expected to take 12-16 months. After the site, design and costs have been approved, the RSU communities will vote to fund the state-reimbursed debt to begin the project. It is the same process every state-funded K-12 school project follows.
Have questions? Want to get involved? There are a number of opportunities to participate in the process and have your questions answered. The RSU2 Monmouth Building Committee will meet periodically over the next year. The meetings are open to the public and provide opportunities to interact with members and the process. Subcommittees will also be formed throughout the process to provide recommendations on specific facility needs (i.e. library, athletic fields, gymnasium).
You can also contact a Committee member:
RSU2 Monmouth Building Committee Members:
| Bill Zima, Superintendent | 622-6351 ext. 410 | bzima@kidsrsu.org |
| Jim Grandahl, Committee Chair | 933-9824 | jgrandahl@fairpoint.net |
| Deborah Emery, HCES Principal | 933-4426 or 485-3558 | demery@kidsrsu.org |
| Scott Barksdale, MMS Principal | 933-9002 | sbarksdale@kidsrsu.org |
| Rick Amero, MA Principal | 933-4416 or 485-3552 | ramero@kidsrsu.org |
| Bill Matthews, Board Chair/Dresden Committee Rep | 737-8214 or 737-9013 | bmatthews@kidsrsu.org |
| Jon Lambert, Farmingdale Board Rep. | 356-1587 | jlambert@kidsrsu.org |
| Jill Randall, Hallowell Board Rep. | 592-1350 | jrandall@kidsrsu.org |
| Jonathan Hamann, Monmouth Board Rep. | 754-9704 | jhamann@kidsrsu.org |
| Ed Zuis, Monmouth Board Rep. | 268-4927 | ezuis@kidsrsu.org |
| Jay Brown, Richmond Board Rep. | 737-8721 or 737-9281 | jbrown@kidsrsu.org |
| Mike Terrell, Richmond Board Rep. | 737-2657 or 751-8037 | mterrell@kidsrsu.org |
| Rob Tillotson, Oak Point Associates President | 283-0193 | rtillotson@oakpoint.com |
| Norm Lemire, Oak Point Associates | 283-0193 | nlemire@oakpoint.com |
| Gordon Murray, RSU Director of Buildings and Grounds | 485-0267 | gmurray@kidsrsu.org |
| Vicki Raymond, RSU Business Manager | 622-6351 ext. 411 | vraymond@kidsrsu.org |
| Chris Fournier, Monmouth parent | 933-3444 | cfourn51@hotmail.com |
| Rich Howard, Monmouth resident | 933-4277 | rjhoward@fairpoint.net |
| Doug Ludewig, Monmouth Selectman | 933-4677 | dludewig@roadrunner.com |
| Scott Wing, RSU employee | 212-7811 | swing@kidsrsu.org |