Staff Writer
ASHLAND – SAD 32 directors, faculty and members of the building committee received their first look Nov. 8 at what the new Ashland school might look like based on drawings by architects from Lewis & Malm Architecture of Bucksport.
According to Superintendent Gehrig Johnson, Don Lewis was in town to show architectural drawings giving school community members an idea what the new facility will look like. “Some people had questions, but everyone was very supportive,” said Johnson. “This is the basic design that the architects put together. A lot of it was guided by what I call negotiations with the Bureau of Construction in Augusta, the architect and the local district.
“This building will essentially be totally funded by the state,” he said, “and the state [Department of Education] will have the final say in what the building looks like. They’ve looked at plans as we’ve developed them, and we’ll be meeting with them soon to show these plans.”
A meeting was held Nov. 13 with the Bureau of Construction with the hope of finalizing the layout of the building.
“From there, it would go to the Board of Education for concept approval next month,” Johnson said. “December will be a busy month because we’ll have to start a series of public hearings to educate the public now that we have the plans. We need to build support for the project because it will wind up going to referendum in February 2008.”
The new 77,000 square foot school, which will be about 9,000 square feet bigger than the current facilities, could cost in excess of $20 million. Earlier estimates had the figure between $12 million and $15 million. The state’s share of the project will be 95 percent, while the local share is approximately 5 percent.
“It’s a substantial project,” said Johnson. “It will be one of the biggest projects in Aroostook County in terms of construction. I can’t think of too many $20 million construction projects in the area.”
The building will house grades pre-kindergarten to grade 12.
The new school will be located where the existing soccer fields are presently situated.
“The front entrance will be facing Presque Isle Street, and there will be three entrances to the school,” said Johnson. “People can access it via Walker Street, off of Route 163, and from Hayward Street.
“There are also three lots that we purchased, and the superintendent’s office will be located in a home that the district bought,” he said. “The school will have a new baseball field, softball field, and two soccer fields which will be ready for its first use in September 2011.”
Tentative plans call to break ground in August 2008 with an occupancy date set for July 2010.
Numerous technological advances will be found in the new structure.
“This building will be much more technologically advanced than it is now,” said Johnson. “It will feature the newest technology … in fact, we have a committee that’s working on a technology plan for the campus. The equipment will all be wireless with two computer labs with white boards throughout the building.”
In addition, the gymnasium will be larger and the school will include a 345-seat auditorium, similar to that of Presque Isle Middle School.
“The new gymnasium will seat 400 people which the current gym already holds,” said Johnson, “but the floor itself will be bigger. Right now, the gym floor isn’t regulation. We can’t have tournament games there. The sidelines are right against the wall, so we’re giving more footage around the gym floor.
“We’ll also have air conditioned spaces in the areas that we use year-round which would be the auditorium, the computer lab, administrative offices, the library and the fitness center,” he said. “We’re planning for this building to last 50 years, so we want it to have everything the kids will need.”
The two-story structure will separate the younger children from the older students.
“The elementary school students will be located on the first floor, while the middle and high school students will be on the second floor,” said Johnson, noting that students in pre-K to grade 2 will be in one cluster, grades 3-5 in another, grades 6-8 in a cluster, and 9-12 in another area. “The school will be fully accessible with elevators.
“This school will be unique because there aren’t many schools in the state of Maine that are built for pre-K to grade 12. I think there’s only been one built like that in the last four years and that was in Vinalhaven. By doing this, we’ll be able to get rid of two inefficient buildings, and our projections are that the heating costs will be cut by more than 50 percent of what they are now in the two separate buildings. It will be what they call a green building that will save resources.”
The high school area will feature a forum, or open area with furniture where the students can gather. They will be able to look through glass down into the gymnasium, the library and the lobby.
The building’s façade will be brick with an abundance of glass.
“It’s a special thermal glass that will let more light in and less heat out,” the superintendent said. “As you come out the main entrance, there will be canopy above you. It will serve as a gathering place for the elementary school students.”
Only teachers’ possessions, books and supplies will make the move into the new school.
“All the furniture, desks, chairs … all that will be new,” said Johnson.
The need for the new school is being driven by the existing schools’ age.
“The buildings are totally inadequate,” Johnson said. “The elementary school was built in 1950, and the high school was built in 1949. Additions have been put on after that, but the initial structures are over 50 years old. They’re beyond their useful life, so much so that the state of Maine has agreed with us and have agreed to fund it.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for this school which has been suffering through some of the worst facilities in the county,” he said. “They’re now going to have the best facilities in the county and we’re very fortunate.”
