North Stonington — In one of their final pitches to the town's residents, members of the Ad Hoc School building committee presented their third proposal to modernize the town's schools on Monday.

Around 100 residents sat in the elementary school's multipurpose room to listen and and forward the project to a May 16 referendum vote.

The project calls for adding a new wing onto the town's gymatorium for the middle and high school students, addressing problems with the science labs, renovating the elementary school, adding a central kitchen, separating gym and cafeteria facilities and eliminating the use of the tunnel under Route 2.

Mike Urgo, chairman of the Ad Hoc School Building Committee, focused on the cost of the project and the safety it would provide to students.

"Probably the last time it failed because it was too expensive ... we were told if you wait it would go up 10 percent per year (but) we delivered a project that's actually less," Urgo said.

The project will cost $38 million, of which the town will be responsible for between $21.6 million and $23.4 million depending whether the town can obtain a waiver from the state concerning the size of the project.

While Urgo said the waiver was not guaranteed, the town is a good candidate.

Andrew Carlson, a junior at Wheeler High School who spoke wearing a #WeAreWHEELER T-shirt, spoke about the individual care he sees as a student in the North Stonington school system.

"I really hope people see this through to referendum because it really would be a shame to see it all go to nothing," Carlson said.

The Ad Hoc School Building Committee noted that the town will be applying for a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan which is currently set at 2.875 percent. The tax rate increase for the project would range between 2.8 and 3.35 mills depending on whether the obtain the waiver and the low federal interest rate.  

Some residents balked at the costs.

Resident Bruce Smith, who said he put two children through the school system, called the project "irresponsible" based on the budget talks in Hartford.

"I just don't think this would be the way to do it," Smith said.

Superintendent Peter Nero pointed to the Stonington feasibility study for Wheeler High School students to attend Stonington, a draft of which contained inaccurate data to estimate potential savings to North Stonington. He listed the past and present education budget increases that Stonington has approved, and said the increase in tuition rates would be borne on the students that remain in North Sonington.

"What it's going to cost to send (Wheeler students) to the high school is going to take away from K-8," Nero said.

Other residents pointed to the loss of control and representation on another school district's Board of Education.

"We're losing our voice and vote on a lot of things that are going on in the country and the most important voice in vote is in our own community, for our own children," resident George Parent said.

n.lynch@theday.com