As Director of Facilities for MSAD #28, I’d like to share my thoughts and expertise on the proposed middle school bond and proposed school. 

The current middle school facility is a hodgepodge of several buildings and systems that have been put together over 100 years. It is riddled with systems and equipment that long ago reached the end of their useful life. We have been maintaining our facility as best we can, but it is simply worn out and outdated. We’ve spent the last 5 years looking at the options and the only solution that makes sense is new construction.

Most folks I’ve spoken with share this view, though many have questioned the timing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make economic sense to wait another five years until the high school debt is retired. We need to do this now or risk a catastrophic failure that will cause immediate disruption and even higher costs in the end. Some people also don’t realize that recent changes in funding from the state actually covers most of our high school debt (and will continue to do so) at this point. That is why we had over a 4% decrease in our CSD budget last year.

The new facility will exceed current energy code standards by 20 to 30 percent and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual operating costs. The ventilation systems will incorporate high efficiency heat recovery and the DDC control system will give the ability to control everything from temperatures and ventilation rates to indoor and outdoor lighting. A new facility will be sited to take advantage of the southern exposure for natural daylighting and gentle indirect northern lighting.

One issue that will be resolved with a new facility is the unsafe conditions created by having busses and cars dropping off and picking up students on Knowlton Street. If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, find yourself a parking spot on Knowlton Street by 7 am some morning and just watch for the next half hour! The new facility will have a dedicated bus loop with enough depth to get the busses off the road before they discharge the students. A second parent drop-off loop will keep busses and cars separate but allow the students to all enter through the front doors. 

The heating/cooling for the new facility is currently configured with high efficiency gas boilers and air-to-air heat pumps where heating and cooling is required. We did consider geothermal but, frankly, it didn’t fit the budget. Should we find an alternate means of financing this, we will certainly put that back on the table. But, there is another technology that we are considering if the budget can bear it or if we can find grants or other funding to assist with the extra upfront cost.

What might that technology be? Well folks, brown may just be the new green! We’re talking ‘sewer-thermal’! With the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) less than 1000 feet away from the project, where else could we find a better heat source for the new facility! 

If you think this is just crazy, consider this: the average temperature of the wastewater in the WWTP is 5° - 10° F warmer than a geothermal well. This increases the efficiency considerably. Many WWTPs in this country are already doing this on a small scale. Many places in Europe, China and India have been recovering this heat energy for years. We are actively looking for ways to finance this technology through grants, rebates, etc. I can’t think of a better way for the residents of Camden and Rockport to continually support their middle school! 

I think most folks who know me, know that I tell it like it is. I wouldn’t be writing this if I weren’t passionate about the cause. The current middle school is way past its prime. If you asked me to describe it I would say, “functionally obsolete”, “at the end of its useful life” and, “structurally challenged”.

Please vote favorably for a new middle school on June 13.

Keith J. Rose is Director of Facilities at School Administrative District 28 and the Five Town CSD