AUBURN – The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved 11 school construction projects, but said a district shouldn’t automatically count on a new building.

The schools are eligible for concept approval and funding during 2003 and 2004 when at least $150 million will be available for school construction.

In a sign of the times, the board issued a statement reinforcing the policy that says districts must explore renovating or adding on to existing buildings, or sharing facilities with neighboring schools.

“Maine’s infrastructure was built in the ’50s and ’60s when Maine looked different than today,” said board chairman Jean Gulliver.

In light of Maine’s declining population and tightly stretched resources, “to think we can continue to replicate that infrastructure and do the best for our students doesn’t stand the straight-face test anymore,” she said.

The new list, which is topped by Lincolnville School Department, was drawn from the priority list released in May that ranked school facilities applications from one to 92 in order of need.

Two other area schools also made the cut: Mount View High School in SAD 3 (Thorndike area), and Charleston Elementary School in SAD 68.

Officials developed cost estimates for the top 20 projects to establish a final list.

Department of Education Commissioner J. Duke Albanese said officials had been “cautious and conservative” in their estimates and that once projects have been finalized, “the hope is to go further down the list.”

Norridgewock Central School in SAD 54 just missed the boat by coming in number 14. During a telephone conversation after the meeting, Superintendent Bruce McGray said he was not surprised “because there was an obvious number of expensive projects ahead of us.”

“Clearly it would have been nice to have been on the list,” said the superintendent who thinks the state’s money likely will stretch.

“I think we stand a good chance but you can’t tell what will happen with interest rates or bid prices.”

SAD 68 Superintendent John Dirnbauer predicted earlier in the week that his district would make the list “because we’ve closed Charleston School and are folding into Morton Avenue School” in Dover-Foxcroft.

Regionalization isn’t a bad thing, he said Wednesday. “It will let us upgrade educational facilities and provide better opportunities for the children of our school district and our communities. We’ll be able to build a modern educational facility that meets the needs of students in the 21st century.”

A.D. Gray Middle School in Waldoboro is second on the list, followed by Paris Elementary School and Massabesic Middle School in Waterboro. Completing the list are Hall Dale Elementary School in Hallowell, Sacopee Valley Middle School in Hiram, Jack Elementary School in Portland, Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston and Cony High School in Augusta.

Seven of the 11 schools on the latest list applied unsuccessfully during the last review, Albanese said.

The commissioner said regionalization may be the only way some communities can deliver “the kind of education we need in this day and age based on Maine’s Learning Results.”

“It’s also about local school districts, with state aid, being able to afford to [manage] a certain number of buildings,” he said.

Even with consolidation, Maine schools will have much smaller student populations than those in other parts of the country, he said.

Officials said the state would work with schools on how to solve a district’s facilities problem.

“We’re not talking about putting kids on a two-hour bus ride,” Gulliver said.

Emphasizing that each district’s needs would be taken on a case by case basis, Albanese said the state is open to discussion about whether regionalization is the way to go.

Regionalization could also mean districts getting together to purchase buses, heating oil and supplies, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.