Montville ― When voters here go to the polls on Nov. 8 they will be asked to approve a total of $8 million of school upgrades.

There will be two additional questions on the ballot, the first of which seeks approval for a $7 million bond to renovate four of the town’s six schools.

Plans call for replacing the roof at Tyl Middle School at a cost of more than $5 million. The project also calls for replacing a boiler and caulking at Tyl, replacing windows at Mohegan Elementary School, installing a new fire alarm panel at Murphy Elementary School and partially replacing a roof at Palmer School.

It’s the second question, the one for a $1 million bond to replace the current track and tennis courts at the high school, that has some residents concerned.

“It’s natural to have concerns, it’s human nature to have concerns,” said Karen Duhamel, a 22-year town resident and parent of a student athlete. “So we want to make sure people are informed about the issue”

The town plans to issue two 20-year bonds for the projects. The impact of the $7 million bond on the owner of a median assessed home in town, $147,490, would pay $52.94 in 2025. That annual tax bill increase would decrease over the life of the bond and by 2044 would drop to $13.48.

The second bond would generate a maximum tax increase of $7.56 in 2024 and decrease to $1.93 in 2044.

If both bonds are approved, the total tax bill increase would be $60.50 in 2025 and gradually decrease to $15.41 in 2044.

“We’re hoping that would be very palatable for people,” Duhamel said. “It’s the right thing to do for the kids and the community.”

Town Council Chairman Tom McNally has said that in the 2024-25 fiscal year, Montville will see its bond debt shrink by $1.4 million, and another $700,000 the year after, thanks to the town paying off current bonds.

The state offers partial reimbursement to towns for large-scale school projects such as roof replacements. State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, whose district includes Montville, has said the state will currently reimburse Montville 60.3% for new construction and 70.6% for renovations and other types of construction. This means the town will likely not expand the entire $7 million.

Some athletic facilities unplayable

Duhamel’s son, Brendan, is a senior at the high school and a member of the soccer, indoor track and tennis teams.

“We can’t even play on the tennis courts that are there,” he said. “We haven’t been able to play on them for the last two years.”

He explained that the school condemned the courts as unplayable as there are tree roots growing underneath that are creating cracks in the playing surface.

For the last two years, the tennis team has utilized the courts at Camp Oakdale. Duhamel described the courts as “playable,” though not great. Those courts are set for their own renovations as the town set aside American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to turn four of the six courts into pickleball courts and updating the other two tennis courts.

Those two tennis courts, however, would not be enough to accommodate the entire tennis team.

Steve LaBranche is in his eighth year as head coach of Montville’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams, and shares the same concerns about the school’s 16-year-old track.

He said the track is showing significant signs of weathering and has outlived its 10-year life expectancy, even though spectators from the bleachers may think it looks fine. With weeds growing in three lanes, exposed asphalt on another and “serious” pools of water after rainfall, LaBranche is concerned it is about to become an “unusable track.”

“I don’t know where we’d go,” LaBranche said, noting that the high school is the only available track in town. St. Bernard High School has an old cinder track and is a private institution.

The pools of water increase the likelihood of an injury, LaBranche said, as not all athletes own a pair of track spikes that can better grip the surface.

“We believe if people are aware of the actual conditions of the track and the tennis courts that we can move forward in a positive direction,” Karen Duhamel said.

LaBranche said one of the track’s two long jump pits is unusable. Both would be needed if the school were to host larger meets, as when it hosted the ECC Championships in 2015. LeBranche explained that hosting events creates a greater sense of community because teachers and students can watch meets after school, a sentiment Brendan Duhamel understands.

“Not being able to play at the high school, it makes us seem like we’re not even playing for the high school, rather we’re just playing for the town,” he said.

Not replacing the track would impact more than just the 100 or so children between the high school and middle school track teams. LaBranche says he sees seniors walking on the track every morning, families use it on the weekends and high school physical education classes use it as well.

LaBranche said he’s not sure how much longer the track can be used.

“At some point, the track is going to need to be done and we’re going to be forced into that situation, much like the tennis courts,” he said.

As a resident and a parent of a student athlete at the school, LaBranche said he’s prepared for the tax increase, but can understand the sentiment of those who are on fixed incomes.

“I don’t see the track becoming cheaper for us to fix in a couple of years,” he said, adding 50 to 60 students compete for the track teams each season.

Karen Duhamel said athletic facilities help draw students to the school.

“Regardless of the school, facilities are always a contributing factor,” she said. “You want to make them a draw.”

Though Brendan Duhamel will have graduated by the time any renovations take place, he hopes new families moving into town, like a neighbor who moved to Montville over East Lyme, get an opportunity to use them.

“Even though I won’t still be in high school when everything gets redone, if this does pass, it’d be great to see those younger families enjoy the facilities,” he said.

k.arnold@theday.com