HAMPDEN, Maine — With a $49.2 million price tag, the big test in designing and building the new Hampden Academy was getting the most bang for taxpayer bucks.
As Sargent Corp. and Massachusetts-based J and J Construction workers put the finishing touches on the 175,000-square-foot facility situated just off Western Avenue, school officials and others who have toured the new, under-budget high school already are giving it high marks.
“To say people are excited about this building would be an understatement,” Emil Genest, assistant superintendent of schools for SAD 22, said Thursday. “We’ve had faculty, some students, and Kiwanis Club members tour the place already. Members of the Class of 1952 are coming in [Friday].
“Teachers have been very excited. They can’t wait to start.”
That starting date is Aug. 29 for freshmen and Aug. 30 for all high school students.
The school also is poised to earn a silver or gold star because of its environmentally friendly, efficient and sustainable planning, construction and operational execution.
“We’re already silver and we may have a chance to be gold, which is amazing for a facility this big,” said Genest, referring to the construction industry’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ranking and award system.
While the school will be used by students in grades nine through 12, the new Hampden Academy will be a lot more than just a high school.
It will be one-third of a “campus” system which shares its facilities with Hampden’s elementary and middle schools. It also will be a community center boasting one of the largest performing arts centers in the state; multipurpose rooms; a $1.2 million, 1,200-seat gymnasium; eight-lane track and field facility; tennis courts; a fitness center; and a cafeteria that could be the envy of some culinary programs.
“This facility was designed for community use, from birth through the elderly years,” said Genest. “Our three communities paid for it and they’re entitled to use it, within reason of course.
“We want our buildings open. We don’t want just 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and we’re all locked up. We’re looking at more of an 8 to 8 or even 8 to 10 concept.”
The concept and blueprints for the school were borne largely from about 200 hours of brainstorming sessions held weekly over a six-month period.
“We had about 80 residents from all three communities [SAD 22 members Hampden, Newburgh and Winterport] take part in eight-hour weekly sessions to come up with designs and features they wanted to see incorporated in the facility,” Genest said. “And it’s not just the athletic and community facilities.”
Genest went on to say that the new school will provide greater educational opportunities, outreach and exposure for community members.
“Education is lifelong,” he said. “We’ve expanded our adult education program in cooperation with Orono and it has grown almost sixfold in the four years we’ve had it.”
With the possible inclusion of students from another community as Frankfort residents weigh switching affiliation from SAD 34 (Belfast) to SAD 22, this forward-designed school appears well positioned for expansion.
“We can even knock out a wall on the second floor and add six to eight more classrooms,” said Genest.
Energy efficient
Despite its size, the three-story school is poised to become almost self-sufficient and sustainable when it comes to electricity and heat.
The entire facility, which consumes no fossil fuels for power or heat, will use both solar and geothermal power. Solar energy, which will come from 30 roof-mounted solar panels and a black, transpired solar wall on one side of the building, will provide hot water as well as electricity.
A closed-loop geothermal system featuring 156 500-foot wells, water-to-water and water-to-air heat pumps and air-side energy recovery systems make the new Hampden Academy the largest geothermal system in Maine, according to the Bangor-based WBRC architectural and engineering firm.
Propane will be used as a backup for the primary heating and energy systems, according to Genest, who estimates approximately $150,000 in fuel savings annually with the new systems, which also will provide air conditioning in warmer weather.
“We’re estimating that the geothermal system will pay for itself in five to seven years,” Genest said.
Natural lighting was used whenever possible through skylights, light shelves, reflective paint, well-type recessed light shafts, glass walls and white- or bright-colored walls.
WBRC handled the school’s groundbreaking design and architecture. The Minneapolis-based Cuningham Group also handled much of the school’s predesign work.
Blending old and new
The emphasis designers placed on making the new school’s architecture and style similar to the old — Hampden’s original school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is known as the 1843 Building — is evident right from the moment you enter the new academy.
“We also wanted to keep and bring over the great architectural features of the old high school from the 1840s era,” Genest said.
Along with the traditional nuances, the school features more cutting-edge conveniences and features including a 900-seat performing arts center — the second-largest in the area behind the University of Maine’s Collins Center. The cafeteria can be converted into a cinema with a giant lowered screen and a 125-foot-long, 24-foot high, 10-inch-thick glass wall — the only one of its kind in the state — maximizes natural light in the cafeteria and surrounding areas.
And although the school will feature a new Bronco statue outside the main entrance, tradition will be maintained with that as well.
Monroe resident Forest Hart — a 1961 Hampden Academy graduate who made the school’s original bronze Bronco, which sits outside the 1843 Building on Route 1, in 1992 — is making the new one, which instead of rearing up on its hind legs like the original will be be running on a granite base.
The Connecticut Corinthian granite base also is being made by a Hampden Academy alumnus. Jamie Leonard, a 1964 graduate, is less than two weeks away from finishing the hand-made base.
“They asked if I wanted to do something for a new statue for a new school. They didn’t have to ask because they knew I’d want to do it,” Leonard said with a slight chuckle. “I would’ve been disappointed if someone else had done this.”
Leonard has been at it for six or seven hours a day, five days a week. He thinks he’ll be done a week ahead of his two-month estimated schedule.
The new Hampden Academy has been a long time coming, but Genest and others say it’s already well worth the wait and cost for a building that broke ground in September 2008 and will cost Hampden residents $6,175,000.
“We first applied for a new school in 1993 and we finished 100th out of 100 schools that applied,” said Genest. “We applied again in 1997, 1999, and then in 2005 we finally got accepted.
“I couldn’t be happier with how this school has come out, and I know the community will have the same reaction.”
I was seated in a local eatery in Hampden behind 4 HA students the other day. They are furious with the new school design. They referred to it as “Leavenworth Academy”. The security features and cameras are going to seriously disrupt their drug trade and they are not liking it one bit. I’m sure they will find a way to circumvent it and the Academy’s unabated focus on its attendance policy with continue in force.
I am delighted that these kids, which exist in every high school, are furious. It will allow those students who want to get the most our of their education to do so while the punks are dealt with by law enforcement.
It’s too bad that all children in the state of Maine didnt get the same opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful school and new building at the taxpayer’s expense…I find this monstrousity in today’s world to be well over done, far more than should have been spent and rediculous given the times we are presently living in.
Perhaps they could dig a mote around the new school and call it Alcatraz Academy…..
I have a question, did they say that the security was going to disrupt their drug trade or did you infer that from their dislike of the new surveillance systems?
What an excessive waste of taxpayer money! The most expensive school in Maine’s history. A multi-story building with glass facades, a 125-foot-long, 24-foot high, 10-inch-thick glass wall (gosh, how much did that cost?), an arts center, a cinema(!), and world class athletic fields does not add up to a better education. It is incredible that this school was ever approved. Add to this the $40,000,000 schools recently built in Thorndike, Brewer, and Ellsworth and you start spending some serious money. And that is just in the Bangor region. Good grief!
The taxpayers had to approve each of these projects. The particular project was approved by a vast majority. They also voted to add an additional 6.5 mill. for geothermal energy, larger gym, more seats in the auditorium, and larger science labs.
You are mistaken, the vast majority of taxpayers who will be paying for this school had no say in this other than perhaps remotely by their state and national representatives. Sure maybe the folks in Hampden, after 15 years of harassment, finally caved and approved this project but I don’t live in Hampden and I’ll still end up having my tax dollars going to support this and those other ridiculous economic follies I listed that were foisted on the public. You do not need this kind of university class facility to provide students with the education they require to be successful adults. It is stupidity in the extreme which is kind of ironic considering this is an educational facility.
There were many hoops to jump through to get this project approved. There were several public forums in which people could express their opinions and concerns. Your analysis of “stupidity in the extreme” makes one conclude that you’ve never stepped foot in a classroom to observe the challenges educators face. In spite of these challenges, educators in Hampden have produced great results with our kids. We feel our kids are worth the investment in creating this first rate educational facility.
Yes, investing tax dollars in education, that is the epitome of stupidity…
You must be a politician msoucy21. You can write a twisted, deliberately misinterpreted and sarcastic reply to my comment however your take on what I said isn’t accurate and I think you know that. I did not say anywhere in my post that investing in education is stupid. What I said was this school, with all its accouterments, was stupid. Ditto for the other 3 recent schools that I listed. The term “first rate educational facilities” are used as a delusional argument to facilitate spending at a level never before foisted upon the taxpayer in Maine. What really makes an education first rate is the teachers. As michdawg so aptly pointed out, the teaching staff in Hampden have done quite well thank you using the old facility. That alone proves my point. It is all well and good to “feel our kids are worth the investment….” but the trouble is the rest of us end up paying for your good feelings. Feelings which have absolutely nothing to do with a quality education.
Learning depends on more than good teachers. The environment the students and the teachers are in also affects learning.
How much learning do you think could happen if, to take things to extremes, you had the world’s best science teacher, but that teacher had to hold class in a shack with no insulation and the temperature 0 degrees outside?
A hot, stuffy classroom with dim lighting that has students crammed into it isn’t going to be as conducive to learning as a spacious one that is well-lit and well-ventilated.
If you’re comfortable, you’re going to learn much better because you’ll be focused on the material, not fretting about being hot, cold, cramped, or in dungeon-like lighting.
The state dictates how much “art” etc has to be in the building. Everything has to be OK’ed by the DOE before it can happen. The “extras” the larger gym, labs and performing arts center were approved by the voters and will be paid for by the tax payers of the three member towns, Hampden, Newburgh and Winterport. In the old Academy the students had to deal with portable class rooms, leaky roofs, mold issues, abspetos, no parking, antiquated heating, no cooling, not kitchen, just warming stations and the list goes on. The school needed to be replaced.
People say the kids are complaining it is a prison, so sad that they might not be able to sneak away when they should be in school. Lord forbid that they be where their parents think they are. The school is built to current safety standards. Who would have thought we want to keep the kids safe.
I am sure then next school the state approves will end up being the next most expensive school built. Prices are not going down any time soon.
Where the hell in this building is a cinema? Answer: there isn’t.
Look in the section entitled: Blending Old and New, 3rd paragraph down.
Yeah, the cafeteria has a screen in it. So does most schools in this state. By no means is it a ‘cinema’. I’ve been in this school several times and have a copy of the blueprints. Stop talking about this building like you’ve actually been in it.
I’m going by what I read in this article and others. I seem to recall reading that the real price for this behemoth was closer to $60,000,000 by the time everything was added up. The most expensive school in Maine history! Yes, I drive by the facility almost daily though I have never been inside.
You are angry at the world. And you have your facts ALL wrong. Everyone in Winterport, Hampden, and Newburgh who CHOOSE to vote, voted on the referendum for this school. Maybe you should do your research before you start making preposterous assumptions about a town you don’t even live in! The majority voted for this school to be built. As a Hampden Academy graduate, I am absolutely elated that I can say this school was built in my hometown and if I still lived there, I would be MORE than happy to pay the taxes knowing my children would be offered the best education with the best quality behind it, while contributing to save the Earth. :) Have a great day watchdogME. You should smile.
I think watchdog is saying that even people who do not live in those towns still must subsidize the building of this school. Of course that is true. State monies as well as federal all go into the mix of funding for such a project. You may not agree with watchdogs comments but the dog has as much right to protest this use of tax money as anyone.
Wait until the residents get their tax bills to maintain and run this Taj Mahal.
From what I heard, the investments in geothermal, solar power technology, and other practical improvements (like motion sensitive lights, light wells, and slanted ceilings, as shown in the video) will actually make the new school run at about the same cost as the old 1843 building. Have you been in the old school? Have you seen how much wasted heat and electricity is generated there?
There is no correlation, none, zero between the dollars spent on education and actual education received.
Bingo sir!
When did you go to school, in ’67 as your tag implies? As someone who graduated college recently, I can tell you there is a direct correlation between dollars spent and education received. Education has become more of a monetary commodity than ever before, and in order to get the best education and provide the necessary tools to provide such an education you have to pay for it, period. This attitude reflecting a lack of a need to invest tax money in education and scholastic tools and facilities will be why this country continues to fall behind, especially in math and science. Also, as a graduate of the old Hampden Academy, I can say that the majority of people in Hampden with children will not have a problem with the tax increase because they will see the return when their children arrive in that building. If you have a problem with it, maybe you should talk to your state representative. Here’s an inconvenient truth for all of these people clamoring about spending and the future of our children at the same time, in order to provide a bright future, you must invest in building that future.
Nope, no correlation between dollars spent and education received. This is a known fact. Spending has exploded over the last 30 years and actual learning has not, at all, increased. I know it feels good to spend more money, but it has no effect, at all. I do agree the old school was a dump and needed to be replaced. Think about this, for 50 million, you could have built 100 neighborhood schools at a half million each.
You keep telling yourself that this is a known fact, must be nice living in a world of absolutes. With an increasing population and inflation, a defunct educational system and leaders, amongst many other factors, even if education and learning remained steady in quality, costs would increase drastically over 30 years. I’d really love to see the economics of the last part of your statement, better yet, what type of facility one receives for $500,000 these days.
If you can build a large state of the art house for $500,000 you can build 100 small schools, with 4-6 classrooms each for the same 50 million. Yes, it is true, it is a fact, that spending on education, per pupil has exploded over the last 30 years, wildly outstripping inflation, yet, it is a fact the quality of education, actual learning has not increased, at all, none, zero. I know this doesn’t make people feel good, but it is the truth.
If this is a known fact (the phrasing of which implies that just everybody knows this), you shouldn’t have trouble referring us to the research that concluded this known fact.
For some reason this post ended up here rather than where I put it in response to another comment.
Is it overdone? Yes. And people in Hampden still think this building isn’t sufficient. Some people don’t get the concept of a budget. In actuality, this project came in $2 million UNDER budget. Of course, if you had to go school at the old dump, you would realize that HA students have earned it. It’s been a long time coming, but we at Hampden Academy are very fortunate.
Having read the posts here and noted the many misspellings: “mote” and “monstrousity” and “rediculous”…well, maybe you should go back to school?
Alright, I myself am a student at Hampden Academy currently, I attended the old Academy building for 3 years, I have friends that are allergic to the mold and crap that’s in that school so they were always sick. Plus they’re other students out there with DISEASES that the crap in the school wasn’t helping at all. If you honestly think Hampden Academy didn’t deserve a new school, you’re seriously wrong. As for the security concerns go, I think it’s great. It’s perfect because if fights occur, they can easily see what happened. As for how far they went with the school, they built it to last 20+ years. It’s a GREEN school, it’s designed to SAVE money and not spend it on repairs and heating/electricity bills. Think before you write a comment.
Trev, the new school is going to last a little longer than 20 years, but we get the point.
This building is going to last 4-5 decades. Build it to national standards now, save a few bucks down the road.
The new Hampden Academy has been built with a 70-year lifespan, and the rubberized roof alone is warranteed for 10-plus years.
Maybe investing in Hampden Academy is a good plan.
“Hampden Academy has been identified by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) of University of Southern Maine as one of nine high schools in the State of Maine as both higher performing and efficient. “Over the past two years, MEPRI has developed a set of metrics for identifying schools whose students are beating the odds by performing significantly better on state assessments than is predicted from student and community characteristics.”
Hampden Academy is the only high school north of Augusta to have this designation.
A great investement in the community and its future! I am happy for the Hampden residents and their students to have such a unique opportunity. Also, an educational philosophy such as Mr. Genest’s , “Education is lifelong” will do much to promote the benefits and potential of their investment to the entire community. Hopefully, this educational approach will shine the light for the rest of our state to follow.
My wife and I decided to move to this community 20 years ago because it is a community that values education. I wanted the best for my kids. This new facility will provide an opportunity to offer courses that will reach students that are not always engaged in education. It won’t be long before the 3rd floor of this school will need to be developed into more classrooms. We have built it, they will come.
a worse waste of money is having to pay for all the horrible schools in the state, where the education standards are much lower. people dont get the concept of long term investments. its a SCHOOL, not something to make a quick buck off of.