Caribou’s preK-8 project will cost $40-50 million
CARIBOU, Maine — Local and state efforts to build a new preK-8 school in Caribou are moving forward. Last week the State Board of Education gave RSU 39 and PDT Architects of Portland the green light to place the new school on Bennett Drive, where Teague Park is currently located.
Earlier in the month, Superintendent Tim Doak announced that the National Parks Service approved a land swap which would move the popular park to the other side of the street.
“They were very impressed with our process,” Doak said in a Monday morning phone interview. “They thought it was very smart for Caribou and RSU 39 to go forward with a project that has a combination of positive effects on both the Rec Department and the school systems.”
Looking ahead, the project still has a few hurdles before it can officially begin, such as building design concept and budget approval.
The building committee is also planning on a Nov. 17 straw vote at the Caribou Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. to gauge public support for the new school. Members of RSU 39 communities are can attend and ask any questions they have regarding the new school and its impact on Caribou.
If there are no additional hurdles, the project will go to referendum early Feb. 2017.
According to RSU 39 Business Manager Mark Bouchard, the state-funded portion of the project should range between $40 and $50 million. Bouchard says the official number may change based on future discussions with the Department of Education, and that the current estimate is derived from similar school projects with official budget numbers.
The first step, if the project receives approval, is to tear down the Learning Center on Bennett Drive to make way for a new park. This step will also require a number of administrative staff members and students, including Doak, to move.
“We put an ad out about a month ago to see if we could lease some office space,” Doak said. “The state may provide us with the space, but they haven’t confirmed anything yet.”
According to the Superintendent, Adult Education students would be temporarily moved to the Caribou High School Vocational Center and the Tech Department would be dispersed throughout the high school.
If the state does not provide space and the administration is unable to lease a nearby office, then the superintendent would have to relocate in one of the schools. This option is a last resort to Doak, as he does not want to take up space in the schools if there is a possibility of consolidation.
The aforementioned updates were mentioned during the Oct. 14 Building Committee meeting and they continued to discuss whether or not the school should receive a state-funded flat roof or a locally-funded upgrade to a sloped roof.
Aside from the roof and superintendent’s office, the committee is looking ahead with a positive attitude.
“I feel very fortunate to be a superintendent working towards a new building,” said Doak. “It’s a golden opportunity and very timely with budgets being tight and the older buildings’ energy and maintenance costs taking up a big chunk of the city’s budget.”
