THOMASTON, Maine — Tuesday’s vote to close the Lura Libby School is only the first step in the town taking over the property.
Residents voted 206 to 81 to support closing the elementary school. The Regional School Unit 13 Board called for closing the school as part of its Schools of the Future plan, which seeks to overhaul the district to create a single high school, a single middle school and close three school buildings.
Thomaston Board Chairman Greg Hamlin said Wednesday town officials have yet to discuss what to do with the building because they first wanted to see if residents wanted to close the school.
RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said now that the closure has been approved by the town, legal work will be done to turn ownership over to the town. He said that the transfer of ownership should be done by the end of the year.
Lura Libby School was built in 1949 with additions and renovations made in 1954, 1990 and 1996. The building has 22,200 square feet.
Also on Tuesday, Kellar River was elected to represent Thomaston on the RSU 13 Board. River succeeds Noreen Mullaney who resigned earlier this year.