KENNEBUNK — Regional School Unit 21 and Wells-Ogunquit Community School District school board members brainstormed Thursday on the possibility of building a high school that would combine the two districts’ approximately 1,200-person student body.
The two boards considered the positives, negatives and unknowns.
“We don’t have data to make any decisions,” said Maureen King, RSU 21 school board member, at the meeting of the two boards.
Andrew Dolloff, superintendent of schools, said the cost of building a new school and purchasing land would be in the $60-65 million range, without any definite plans, while referring to an estimate by the Portland-based architectural company, Harriman Architects and Engineers.
Almost all of the factors that are necessary to begin such a consolidation are unknown, including construction costs, site location, student transportation costs and staffing.
Although the two districts would need a new school with a 1,200-student capacity, Dolloff said it would be best to have room for at least 1,400 students to accommodate the predicted growth in student numbers.
The boards are expected to have basic plans and rough costs to present to the public for discussion in the fall, according to Dolloff.
The idea comes as Kennebunk High School faces nearly $590,000 in renovations to its roof and asbestos abatement and considers a $35-40 million renovation of the school that would remodel KHS’ playing fields, relocate parking and improve the building itself. The RSU 21 building committee is receiving prices from Harriman Associates for the designs.
Wells High School is just beginning to estimate the costs of remodeling much of its 1970s-era building. WOCSD Superintendent Elaine Tomaszewski said the school requires new science labs, a bigger auditorium and improved classrooms, just to name a few.
“It’s upgrading to everything,” said Tomaszewski.
There is no estimate yet on what WHS’ project would cost, Tomaszewski said.
With no public land available at this time, the Harriman company said the KHS property would have space for expansion if that’s where the boards chose to build. Wells High School wouldn’t have extra land because it is surrounded by wetlands, said Tomaszewski.
Listing the positives of a new high school, members said it would help increase curriculum offerings, give community synergy, spread costs over a much larger tax base, and create greater competitiveness in athletics.
Board members said some of the negative impacts could include staff cuts, complex cost-sharing between towns, and the pushing out of students from extracurricular activities.
“There will be an uncertainty in staffing,” said King.
Dolloff said there would be only one principal for the school, so one of the current high school principals would lose their position. Some staff members, teachers and administrators across the board may also lose their jobs in the process.
King said parents have approached her and are against this type of consolidation, saying they moved to Kennebunk to remove their children from 1,400-student schools so their children wouldn’t be lost in the crowd.
The makeup of the boards would also be questionable, with the chance of a new board being formed to include representatives of both RSU 21 and WOCSD, Dolloff said.
Members of the two boards initially met May 18 to talk about the formation, but according to Damon Russell, chairman of the WOCSD board, the meeting was more of an introduction between the committees than a planning session.
The RSU 21 and WOCSD school boards will meet again Aug. 4, possibly being presented with further cost estimates from Harriman Associates.
— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326, or at mkiernan@journaltribune.com.
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