The local school district has released a detailed road map outlining how it plans to decide what to do with its aging school buildings, including Harpswell Community School.
The Maine School Administrative District 75 document lays out a multiyear, step-by-step process for narrowing options, gathering public input and ultimately asking voters to approve facility closures, new construction or renovation projects.
The district will use this process to develop a long-range facilities master plan, which will address conditions across schools in Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham. District officials say the goal is to address safety, accessibility and program needs while balancing costs and community priorities.
The effort was prompted by a facilities assessment that estimated between $67.5 million and $81 million in repairs would be needed districtwide over the next decade. A separate analysis of program needs identified widespread deficiencies related to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, classroom size and specialist spaces.
For example, the analysis noted that five classrooms inside the aging Harpswell Community School are not adequately accessible for people with disabilities.
The road map is intended to bring structure and clarity to a process that has already generated strong public reaction, particularly around the possibility of school consolidation. Earlier this fall, the district presented a range of options, including scenarios that would renovate schools and others that would close one or more buildings.
Harpswell residents have raised particular concerns about the future of Harpswell Community School, the town’s only remaining public school. Similar questions have emerged in other towns as residents weigh convenience and community identity against cost and enrollment trends.
The newly released road map does not select a preferred option. Instead, it explains how the district plans to move from broad concepts to a final recommendation through a phased decision-making process.
The plan is divided into four major phases and is expected to take at least five years from start to finish. Each phase includes specific actions, reports and decision points required under Maine law.
Phase I, which is largely complete, focused on data collection and community engagement. That phase included a facilities condition assessment, a program needs analysis and a demographic study projecting declining K-5 enrollment.
The district also held three public forums during Phase I to gather feedback on priorities such as safety, energy efficiency and cost. Consultants developed 12 preliminary options during this stage, each with rough cost estimates.
Phase II, which is now beginning, is described as a deeper analytical phase aimed at narrowing the field of options. The district’s Facilities Committee will review feedback from the public forums and identify three or four viable options.
Those short-listed options are intended to reflect a range of community preferences, from maximum renovation to varying levels of consolidation. The committee will document its reasoning in a formal memo.
Phase II also will include targeted, town-specific discussions. Small group meetings are planned to examine local impacts such as transportation times, class sizes, tax effects and unintended consequences. Those meetings haven’t been scheduled yet.
Phase III will focus on reaching consensus and selecting a single option. During this phase, the Facilities Committee will recommend one plan to the school board for review.
The board will then hold additional public meetings before taking a vote. Depending on the proposal, state law may require a two-thirds board vote and extensive documentation, especially if a school closure is involved.
The final phase will move from approval to implementation. That stage will include state review, a local referendum and bond vote, design and permitting, and eventual construction.
District officials noted that most major school construction projects in Maine require voter approval. If approved, the design, construction and transition could take several years.
The district estimates the full process — from planning to opening new or renovated facilities — could take five years or more. Officials have emphasized that no final decisions have been made and that additional public input will shape the outcome.
All planning documents related to the facilities master plan are available on the district’s website. To review them or submit comments, visit link75.org/departments/facilities-grounds.
