Troy Ripley, far left, chairperson of Maine School Administrative District 17’s board of directors, counts votes Monday during a vote on whether to raise up to $6 million to repair Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris. Nineteen directors voted against the motion, with one, West Paris’ director Donna Marshall, voting to approve it. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat

PARIS — Maine School Administrative District 17 took two procedural steps Monday to permanently close Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris.

During its regular business meeting, the school board voted 19-1 against allocating up to $6 million in repairs to make the school safe for use. District Superintendent Heather Manchester closed the building last February after an architectural inspection report cited numerous life safety concerns and structural failures was released.

Director Donna Marshall of West Paris cast the lone vote to fund the necessary repairs and improvements.

By a vote of 16-4, directors then authorized Manchester to start the process to close the school, based on Maine Statute Title 20-A §4102 (3): the building has been deemed to be unnecessary or unprofitable to maintain by the governing body of the administrative unit.

Before a building may be closed, the district must file a report outlining the school board’s findings with the commissioner.

Marshall and directors Veronica Poland of West Paris, Bob Schott of Norway and Jennifer Russell of Paris opposed the motion authorizing the superintendent to file the report.

Once the Department of Education acknowledges the report, the next step will be a referendum for West Paris voters to determine whether to keep the school open or proceed with its closure.

If a majority of West Paris residents vote for Agnes Gray to stay open, the cost for repairs will fall to the town. SAD 17 would refund West Paris the money it pays the district to educate its students between prekindergarten and sixth grade.

The district would pay student transportation and the town would continue paying its share for seventh through 12th grade at Oxford Hills Middle and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High schools.

Schott of Norway questioned if it is appropriate to vote for a school building to be deemed “unnecessary” by the statute’s definition; Board Chairperson Troy Ripley of Paris explained the closure is justified under the finding of it being “unprofitable” to maintain.

Poland and Russell were concerned West Paris voters may have to vote in a referendum on closing the school when several unknowns remain, namely if SAD 17 will eventually replace Agnes Gray with a new community school or instead build a consolidated school in another community, likely Norway. The statute does not indicate if the municipal referendum follows a set or open timeline.

“Years of deferred maintenance forced us to vacate Agnes Gray Elementary in February to keep our students and staff safe,” said Ripley. “Closing this school is not easy, but the $6 million price tag to repair the building doesn’t make sense when we have the capacity for West Paris students to safely attend school in neighboring communities.”

“West Paris voters will ultimately decide the future of Agnes Gray,” continued Ripley. “We need to be working together across our eight Oxford Hills communities to affordably provide a great education for all our students.”

Most of West Paris’ 120 students currently attend Paris Elementary School in Paris.

Agnes Gray, along with Oxford Hills Middle School, is on the DOE’s priority list for school construction. However, the department has indicated it is more likely to financially support a consolidated elementary school, replacing four of SAD 17’s older elementary schools, than one new community school located in West Paris.

If SAD 17 voters approve a consolidation plan for elementary construction, community schools in Harrison, Norway and Waterford would also be closed.

However, Harrison is researching a possible exit from SAD 17.

Last week, lawyers for West Paris and Paris filed a civil suit against SAD 17 after they claimed the school district has already permanently closed Agnes Gray without following procedure.

According to Ripley, proper procedure has been followed but the district could not take official steps without completing due diligence, including assessing the needs to reopen Agnes Gray, posting requests for proposal for the work and collecting bids.