Portland school and city officials are touring two elementary schools tonight to get a firsthand look at conditions that led the school board to recommend a $70 million bond to renovate Presumpscot, Longfellow, Lyseth and Reiche elementary schools.
The school facilities ad hoc committee studying the bond proposal will tour Presumpscot from 5 to 6:15 p.m. and Lyseth from 6:45 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend the tours.
The committee, made up of city councilors and school board members, was created July 6 by the City Council after the school board voted to recommend that the council send to voters a referendum on a $70 million bond issue to rebuild the four schools.
Supporters had hoped to get it on the November ballot, but the councilors said they needed more information before putting the issue before voters.
The four schools have not had significant investments since they were built 40 to 60 years ago.
Supporters say the $70 million would largely be spent on practical fixes, such as installing functional heating and windows that open, making schools accessible for all users, eliminating trailers for classrooms and easing severe overcrowding. At one school, the social worker works in a windowless closet.
Critics say it’s too much money and some renovations are more luxury than necessity, such as extra storage and new parking lots, roads and fields.
The committee is expected to tour Longfellow and Reiche later this month. The committee will hear from the project architect regard,ing school-level renovation plans, at a meeting scheduled for August 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Portland City Hall.
This story will be updated.