SAD 32 eyes soccer field as site of new consolidated school

 ASHLAND, Maine – If everything goes according to plan, Ashland students could be attending a new consolidated school in August 2009.
    According to Gehrig Johnson, SAD 32’s interim superintendent, a site approval public hearing and straw vote will tentatively be held Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at the Ashland High School cafeteria.
“We’re recommending the new school be built where the existing high school soccer field is,” said Johnson. “We’d begin constructing the building in April 2008 where the soccer field is, and school would continue in session for that year.
“Everyone – pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students – would then move into the new building, and the present high school would be demolished and turned into soccer fields,” he said, noting that about 345 students would be housed in the new facility.
Once the move is complete, the SAD 32 board of directors would have to decide whether to keep the elementary school or turn it over to the town.
“The district would retain control of the elementary school, and the school board would be analyzing over the next year and-a-half whether they had an educational use or maybe a potential educational use for it. If they do, they can just hold onto the building,” Johnson said. “If they determine there is no longer any educational use for the building, they can turn it over to the town of Ashland … similar to what was done with Cunningham Middle School and the city of Presque Isle.”
The citizens of SAD 32 will have the opportunity to approve the proposed site at the April 9 meeting.
“It’s a majority vote. If 10 people show up, we’d need six to vote in favor of the site. Following the straw vote, or a show of hands,” said Johnson, “the matter would go to the state board of education.”
The board’s site approval meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 11 in Augusta.
“That meeting is the first formal step that the state board is making to approve the site. From there, we would march along to another public hearing in June to approve the concept, or the actual building itself, followed by a state board meeting in July.”
Once those steps are taken, a referendum vote would be held this September for citizens.
“By that time, we’ll have a building on paper … something for the community to look at,” said Johnson. “From that point, provided we get the public to approve this building, it would go back to the state board for final funding approval in January 2008.
“Then the project would go out to bid, construction would start in April 2008 and, if everything goes well, we’ll be in the building in August 2009,” he said. “It’s going to take about 15 months to actually build it. It’s an ambitious schedule, but one that is doable.”
Johnson said the site of the soccer field was identified for a number of reasons.
“It’s centrally located like the high school,” he said. “The water, sewer and all of the necessities are there, and the transportation patterns are favorable. I think it’s a natural spot for this school.”
The SAD 32 building committee consists of architect Don Lewis of Lewis & Malm of Bucksport, Sheila Lyons, school board member and chair of the building committee; Mike Cote, school board member; Joanne Nelson, school board member; Sherry Calhoun, school board member; interim superintendent Gehrig Johnson, Charles Anderson, SAD 1’s business manager; Bob Hennessey, principal of the Ashland schools; Joel Hall, faculty; Larry Hall, community representative; Jim Collins, community representative; and Tom Asbo, community representative.
“The committee, which just formed, will provide input to the architect,” said Johnson. “The faculty will be heavily involved in this, and we’ll meet with them throughout the process. It’s a pretty exciting time for everyone.”
Johnson said the project is much needed, and that’s why it’s “on the list for the state to build them a building.”
“The existing buildings are in pretty rough condition,” he said. “I think Ashland High School, for example, is the only school in Aroostook County that cannot host a tournament game because the gym is too small and out of compliance.
“Everyone is very anxious to have a new school,” said Johnson, “so the whole community doesn’t have to go to another community to play a home game. It’s been that way for years.”
Though it’s too early to know the exact cost, Johnson said the building project could cost around $12 million.
“In excess of 95 percent would be paid by the state,” he said. “The exact commitment of the local share is yet to be determined.”