March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Voters support school expansion> Lincolnville straw poll OKs $2.2 million job

LINCOLNVILLE — It’s a story all too familiar for schools in Maine: aging, inadequate and poorly laid-out buildings that need renovation and expansion, but with little chance of landing state money to do the work.

In January, Lincolnville school officials will apply for state money to expand the Lincolnville Central School, a building for kindergarten through eighth grade constructed after World War II and twice expanded.

But Superintendent Sue LaPlante isn’t holding her breath, knowing that the project will be one of 82 to be considered by the state Department of Education, which ranks the projects.

Lincolnville residents voted Tuesday night in a straw poll to support a planned $2.2 million expansion and renovation. It is the first step in a process in which school officials hope to land limited state funds but bear the bulk of the burden of the cost locally.

LaPlante believes the timing of the expansion proposal will mean that town taxes will not increase, as several other bills will be retired, and the school will be able to draw on a reserve account. Before the expansion can proceed, voters will have to support spending about $110,000 for architectural services at a Nov. 16 special town meeting, then give the total project approval at a Jan. 25 meeting.

Earlier this year, Lincolnville joined School Union 69 — which includes Hope and Appleton — on a trial basis, but the towns share only the cost of the superintendent position and associated office costs. Lincolnville taxpayers pay for the operation of their school with about a third of the budget coming from the state.

LaPlante said the renovation is sorely needed, covering such problems as bringing the building into compliance with safety and fire codes and with the Americans With Disabilities Act. That work is estimated to cost $600,000. School officials will apply for money from the state’s revolving fund and hope to land $168,000.

The large part of the project is to expand and reconfigure the school. The main part of the school was built in 1947-48, and additions were built in 1978 and 1987-88. The school serves about 260 pupils.

Earlier this decade, school officials proposed adding a gymnasium to the school, but voters defeated the project in three votes over two years.

The construction part of the plan calls for a multipurpose gymnasium, two classrooms for middle school students with one including a science lab, and a K-2 wing to be added.

The school’s current multipurpose room, which serves as a cafeteria and auditorium, will be retained, but smaller rooms will be constructed along one side to accommodate food service. Now, the food service equipment is stored in a corner of the large room.

New art and music areas will be created in the existing building. Currently, the music teacher uses a small square room, with equipment spilling out into a hall, and the art teacher stores supplies in a closet.

Another site that needs an upgrade, “Our special ed space is inadequate,”‘ LaPlante said Tuesday, noting that state evaluators cited the school for its lack of room for the programming.

“The library, the media center and the technology lab area would be moved at the heart of the school” near the entrance, under the plan, LaPlante said.

A toilet will be added to the nurse’s room, she said. Now, sick students must walk down a hall to get to facilities. Other toilets also would be added. Currently, the only handicapped-accessible toilet doubles as the staff toilet. A conference room where teachers can meet with parents is also part of the plan.

In a quick tour of the school, LaPlante pointed out areas with large hallways that do not serve as efficient education spaces, and one large room in the lower level that has no secondary exit, preventing its use as a classroom.

Outside, the school would give up using a double-wide modular, which houses two classrooms, and build more parking spaces.

School officials hope to spread the cost of the construction over a 15-year bond.

By using $110,000 set aside in a facilities fund last year, the school can put the architects to work later this year without having to borrow. LaPlante explained that the district had to budget $80,000 this year for an “extra” payment to SAD 28 for high school students, pays $17,000 annually to lease the modular classroom building and $3,194 to use the town Community Center building for physical education.

Adding these amounts, the superintendent estimated $210,194, carried in the budget. The annual payments on the bond would likely be close to that total, she said, thereby keeping school costs level.

If approved by voters, the work would be put out to bid this winter, and construction would be spread over two years.


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