After voters nixed a $75 million plan to renovate three school buildings in Regional School Unit 21 in January, school officials have gone back to the drawing board to figure out a scaled-down, more palatable plan to present to residents in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel.
The results are in, and as for the new cost, it’s pegged at $57 million for the three schools in need of repairs and upgrades: Kennebunk High School, Consolidated School in Kennebunkport and the Mildred L. Day School in Arundel.
The majority of the cost is related to updating Kennebunk High School. KHS’ renovations represent just under $44 million of the total, which was reduced by about $10 million from the previous plan. Under the current proposal, the aging high school building would retain the same number of classrooms, but they would be enlarged, bringing them in line with Maine Department of Education standards.
Currently, 95 percent of the classrooms are undersized, according to architects for Portland-based firm Harriman Associates, which is working on the project. The new plans will accommodate about 700 students, which is just over the enrollment now at 690 ”“ leaving room for an extra three or four students per class if needed, the architects say.
The architects have also suggested improvements to make the building more energy efficient, which would bring cost savings into the future as the school pays for heating and cooling.
Also under the plan, the main entrance to the high school would be moved to the rear, closer to parking, and athletic fields would be rehabilitated, with focus given to resurfacing the track and resizing the field it encircles to reflect a regulation soccer field.
A plan for a stand-alone visual and performing arts facility is no more, under the new proposal. That was a point of contention for many who spoke out against the plan during the lead-up to the January vote.
Mildred L. Day School Principal Kevin Crowley, speaking last week about the new proposal, said that the elimination of that part of the plan and reducing the overall costs were important components in the revision.
“We heard the voters. They spoke loud and clear,” Crowley said. “You’re going to get building projects that are clear in motive. They are for the kids. They are not community centers. They are schools.”
The smaller portions of the RSU’s renovation plan involve Consolidated School and Mildred L. Day School.
At Consolidated, just about $6 million worth of work is planned to increase energy efficiency; install ramps for handicap accessibility; create bathroom access from the gymnasium; and knock down a wall separating two classrooms near the front of the building, which would allow the new, larger room to be utilized as a multi-purpose space.
For Mildred L. Day School, about $9 million would be spent, mainly to demolish two wings that were built on clay-rich soil that have been settling unevenly over a period of more than 30 years. New wings would be built on the land running parallel to Limerick Road, which has much less clay in its soil, and the land where the wings are demolished would become parking.
It’s encouraging to see that school officials took their charge seriously, particularly with Kennebunk High School. Although the $44 million cost will likely still be a difficult pill for taxpayers to swallow, high schools are costly, and upgrades are necessary in this day and age to keep their accreditation.
While the high school renovations are going to cost a lot, it’s inevitable for area high schools ”“ many of which were built or saw major renovations in the 1970s and early 1980s. Education today requires more technology and access to high-speed Internet, as well as more space for STEM subject classes and technical learning. Other schools in the area have also had to make costly renovations ”“ Wells is in the midst of a $27 million renovation, and Biddeford completed a $34 million recently, which was approved in 2009.
It’s time now for RSU 21 to do the same.
Ӣ Ӣ Ӣ
Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham Rousseau on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
