After about a decade of planning and discussion, RSU 14 is finalizing the purchase of the three properties that make up the site of the new Windham-Raymond middle school, according to Superintendent Chris Howell.
The Windham site is scheduled to be cleared for construction in the fall of 2024. RSU 14 board members and school officials say by the time the school opens in 2027, concerns about the project, mostly from Raymond residents, should be allayed.
Windham voters overwhelmingly approved the project last month, but those in Raymond opposed it 975-739.
“There’s some important things to figure out in the next couple of years,” Howell said, including transportation issues, and he’s confident opponents’ concerns will dissipate.
“Once the building is underway, the excitement will likely grow,” he said.
Students from the existing Windham Middle School and Jordan Small Middle School in Raymond, as well as fifth graders in the district, will attend the new school off Windham Center and River roads.
“We know there’s some concern for transportation time for students in the far reaches of the district,” Howell said, and the district is discussing if that could impact school start times.
Char Jewell, an RSU 14 board member representing Raymond, said she knew from the first discussions that “Raymond voters wouldn’t be happy with Jordan Small closing.” But few community members attended meetings about the project until they became aware of the tax implications, she said.
“People tend to not pay attention until it affects their day-to-day lives,” she said.
The district will receive state funding of $131.7 million for the project, leaving $39.8 million to be covered by Windham and Raymond taxpayers. The tax impact will be an additional 79 cents per $1,000 of assessed value in Windham and 56 cents per $1,000 in Raymond.
“We’re not a rich town,” Jewell said of Raymond. “We’re very frugal.”
Jewell said the board plans to continue working with parents whose students will be attending the new school.
“I’m hoping that we get community involvement to make good decisions going forward,” she said.
Board member Christina Small of Windham said that when the board voted to consolidate the middle schools, they anticipated concerns and presented many opportunities for community involvement from both towns. Some Raymond residents were upset that the election last month was their first opportunity to have a say in the project, but that’s “a small group,” she said.
“We knew that no matter where we put (the school) that there would be some transportation concerns,” Small said. “The district is already working on a plan to limit busing times.
“There were also a couple concerns about culture because Jordan Small is such a small school,” she said, but the new building is designed to create the same communal feeling.
Each grade will have its own floor, and will not need to travel between floors for classes. The cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium, counselors and special education rooms will all be on the first floor.
“I feel that this is a net positive for all the students from both towns,” Small said, and she hopes that those who voted against the project “will come around by the time that the building opens.”
Windham Middle School Principal Greg Applestein, who joined RSU 14 this past summer, said “it clearly sounds to me like this district has done seven or eight years of extremely long feedback gathering.” In the time since he’s started, the district has brought together staff from both middle schools to build a shared sense of community.
He said he’s excited about the opportunities the new building will provide, especially for outdoor learning spaces for science classes and outdoor dining.
“The more fresh air and sunlight we can give kids, the better,” he said.
He and Jordan Small Principal Michelle Brann said the design of the new school should ease parents’ concerns about the loss of the smaller school.
“A lot of thought was put into the planning and the design of how teams are created, so it maintains that small feel,” Brann said. “A lot of work will be put into bringing the communities together.”
The primary concern she’s heard from parents is bus times, she said, “but there will be lots of studies to minimize those routes.”
She and her staff will miss Jordan Small.
“There’s also a sense of loss because they’ve been here so long,” she said, but at the same time they are excited about the new resources. She’s especially excited for the opportunities the new auditorium will bring, she said, because both middle schools put on big musical productions and have very active drama and music departments.
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