To the editor:

Portsmouth voters are being asked to approve a $21 million school load. That is a substantial movement in the right direction from the $66 million loan proposed last year, but please look at the details.

If the projects total $22 million and the state is paying 40 percent, why are we approving a loan for $22 million?

What was added this year is a new HVAC system for all schools. Last year these upgrades were not scheduled until after 2025. This did not change because of COVID regulations. All our HVAC systems meet the state’s post-COVID regulations.

There are people who are losing their homes due to taxes in this town. Our food pantry is up to 100 families a week. So what is being proposed? Take out a huge loan. Bonds are not free. It's a huge load that we the taxpayers will have to pay back by (the town) raising our taxes.

Dr. Kenworthy has stated the reason for doing HVAC now was to get an extra 5-percent reimbursement offered by RIDE, which may go away after this year. Dr. Kenworthy may be a fine educator, but he needs to work this math out. He moved the HVAC expense forward by at least four years to save 5 percent. Wow! The estimated interest to be paid on the loan is 3.5 percent. That means he's spending at least 14 percent (4 X 3.5 percent) to save 5 percent.

I urge voters to look behind the glossy presentations to know exactly what the School Committee is asking for us taxpayers to fund. I encourage you to ask the committee to re-evaluate their priorities and come up with a better thought-out, economic list of projects next time.

Please vote “no” on this loan.

Jeanne Smith

39 Morgan St.

Portsmouth