On Tuesday Wells residents will cast their vote on whether to approve a $26.85 million construction project, while Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel residents will be faced with three construction projects — including a $53.5 million renovation and expansion of Kennebunk High School — in January.
Two abutting towns and school communities are facing significant building renovation projects that will soon come before voters.
A comparison of the two high school building projects shows that while the cost per square foot is similar for both projects — at $223 for WHS and $220.44 for KHS — the cost per student ($58,317 for WHS vs. $76,500 for KHS) is more than $20,000 higher for the KHS project as is the square feet per student — 322 for KHS and 266.37 for WHS.
A look at the numbers:
Well High School
Proposed
cost: $26.85 million (a total of $27.7 million including $851,000 in
improvements to athletic fields approved separately by voters in June)
Cost per student: $58,317 (building for projected 475 students)
Cost per square foot of construction: $223
Square feet per student: 266.37 (current 452 students)
For more information on the building project, visit www.k12wocsd.net/home/whs-building-project.
Kennebunk High School
Proposed cost: $53.5 million
Cost per student: $76,500 (building for projected 700 students)
Cost per square foot of construction: $200.44
Square feet per student: 322 (current 684 students)
For more information on the project, visit www.rsu21.net.
School officials say comparing the projects could be like comparing apples and oranges, as Wells has a smaller student body with 452 students compared to Kennebunk's 681, and a facility built in 1977 compared to Kennebunk's 1939 original facility.
But the issues sound the same — classrooms are overcrowded, areas like the cafeteria or auditorium cannot hold the entire student body, and the aging facilities cannot support educational tools and electronic devices at either of the facilities. Building deficiencies have put Wells High School's accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges under a warning status, something Kennebunk High School administrators are concerned about in the years to come.
"I don't believe there are as many deficiencies they are trying to remedy and I think the scope is quite a bit less," said Tim Hussey, chairman of the RSU 21 Facilities Committee, which reviewed the KHS project. "I don't think they are in as tough a shape as we are in, although I believe they are worried about accreditation. We are going to be facing the same thing in a few years with accreditation if we don't deal with it."
Accreditation is reviewed every 10 years.
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