ROCKLAND, Maine — The Rockland-area school board awaits cost estimates following a presentation last week on two projects that would renovate and add space to the district’s newly reorganized high and middle schools.
Architect Michael Johanning of WBRC Architects and Engineers presented concept drawings that call for two additions to the Oceanside High School West in Thomaston that will become Oceanside Middle School starting in the next school year. One addition is planned for Oceanside High School East in Rockland, which will become simply Oceanside High School.
The district is undertaking a major realignment of its schools as part of the Schools of the Future plan. The changes will have one high school that includes students in grades nine through 12. The plan also calls for a single middle school consisting of grades six, seven and eight.
Two weeks ago the district’s administration announced it would not be able to place sixth-graders at the middle school next year. The relocation of the sixth-graders would need to wait for the additions to Oceanside Middle School.
For next year, the administration proposes having sixth-graders housed in a wing of the South School in Rockland, which is attached to the current Rockland District Middle School. The students would attend classes in the morning in Rockland and then be bussed in the afternoon to the Thomaston middle school for such programs as physical education and art.
The administration said the current building in Thomaston lacks classrooms for all students, but its art and gym facilities are large enough to accommodate all the middle schoolers.
The construction project proposed for Oceanside Middle School calls for two additions — one for a set of classrooms and the other for a new kitchen and cafeteria. Once that work is done, the current kitchen and cafeteria would be renovated to be used as classrooms.
The renovations and additions will be able to accommodate the projected 384 students in grades six, seven and eight that will be attending Oceanside Middle School.
At Oceanside High School in Rockland, the addition would enlarge the kitchen and cafeteria. The proposal also calls for relocating the administrative offices to adjacent to the kitchen area and to make that the new main entrance to the school.
The architect said it makes more sense to have the main entrance closer to where people enter the parking lot. The current administrative offices later would be converted to classrooms.
Cost estimates will be developed for the projects and presented to the board. The board, once it approves the projects, will seek voter approval to finance the work. That referendum is likely to be held in the fall.
The reorganization and consolidation of schools is being done to save operational costs.