Cape Elizabeth school candidates sharply divided over $116 million bond

School board candidates at a Cape Elizabeth public forum offered sharply different answers Thursday when asked whether they support the proposed schools bond on the November ballot.

Arianne Herter, a nurse and mother of two, said she is the only candidate running who opposes the bond as presented and urged a “middle ground” that would prioritize what the town can afford. “I cannot support the bond as it currently stands,” Herter said, arguing that asking taxpayers to approve $116,000,000 amid historic inflation risks pricing residents out of town. Herter added the town should start with a budget and re‑scope what is essential.

Other candidates framed the choice as long‑term investment. Phil Saucier, a current school board member who chaired the building committee, said architects and engineers advised replacement rather than renovation and called renovation “throwing good money after bad.” “The option to restore and renovate is not recommended,” Saucier said, citing consultants’ findings that renovations would not deliver 21st‑century learning environments and would have shorter useful life.

Caitlin Sweet, who said she supports the bond, emphasized long‑range cost comparisons and student safety concerns such as lead in water and inadequate heating in classrooms; she also said targeted tax relief could help households that would struggle with added costs. Larry Kaplan said he would leave the final decision to voters but offered his experience to rework a plan if voters reject it.

The forum did not produce a formal board position; candidates agreed the voters should decide and that planning will continue regardless of the ballot outcome.