Westbrook officials will host a series of community meetings about a proposed $27 million expansion to two local schools, which will be decided by referendum in November.
If approved, the bond will pay for a renovation and 12 new classrooms at Saccarappa Elementary School, as well as 12 new classrooms at Westbrook Middle School. The proposal is meant to address overcrowding in the schools.
“Our building project is something that is absolutely necessary for the children who are in our schools right now, and the children who are coming to our community,” newly appointed Superintendent Peter Lancia said in August.
Westbrook’s two other elementary schools – Congin and Canal – have been renovated in the last 10 years. In 2012, the school department decided to close the Prides Corner School, which officials said was in dire need of repair. Fifth-graders began attending Westbrook Middle School, while younger students were reassigned to the other schools. That building has since been sold to a condominium developer.
At the time, the district was reporting a consistent decline in enrollment. From 2003 to 2009, the elementary schools alone shrunk by 130 students. In those six years, the entire student population sunk from 2,688 to 2,390.
That trend has reversed, however. For 2014, the district had a total of 2,483 students. Kindergarten enrollment has returned to the level of a decade ago, and the district has added five portable classrooms to accommodate the numbers at the elementary schools. As the city grapples with a housing boom, the superintendent has predicted 331 students could join the district by 2025.
Residents can attend community forums about the proposal on these days:
Tuesday at 2 p.m. with the Westbrook Women’s Club at Westbrook Congregational Church
Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Westbrook Middle School cafeteria
Thursday at 6 p.m. at Congin Elementary School
Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Westbrook Community Center
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CORRECTION: This story was updated at 6:16 p.m. on Oct. 18 to remove an erroneous reference to an Oct. 25 forum with the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center. No such forum is scheduled.
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