Saturday, March 1, 2014

New RSU 21 plan would keep all schools, reconfigure population


KENNEBUNK – Architects presented a plan on Friday that could keep an elementary school open in the three communities of RSU 21 while reconfiguring the student population, keeping Sea Road School and possibly reducing construction costs.
The Facilities Committee is exploring options after voters in January failed a $75 million proposal to renovate Kennebunk High School, Mildred L. Day School, and Kennebunkport Consolidated School by a two-to-one margin.

Architect Dan Cecil discussed the option with the RSU 21 Facilities Committee Friday, under which Sea Road School could house all fourth and fifth grade students from Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, while Kennebunk students in kindergarten through third grade and Arundel students in fourth and fifth grades could attend Kennebunk Elementary School.

Under the plan, Mildred L. Day School and Consolidated School could hold students in kindergarten through third grade in those towns, which would reduce the work needed at M.L. Day and Consolidated by four and three rooms, respectively, among other cost savings.

The costs of the plan are not yet known, Cecil said, but he did say the district would face costs of running four elementary schools – as opposed to three which is currently the vision within the district's master plan that suggests closing Sea Road School in the future.

“The idea was would there be a way to shift students around so they could go to school closer to their house,” Cecil said. “The point is that you end up running four schools instead of three and you're going to have some operational costs.”

In addition, he said the plan could make for small student populations at M.L. Day and Consolidated in the future.

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