BANGOR, Maine — After a long hiatus, the state is reopening the application process for schools that want funding to help rebuild or overhaul their aging facilities under the Major Capital School Construction program.
“In consultation with the State Board of Education, the [Department of Education] has determined that for the first time in six years, the time is right to open a new application cycle,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Beardsley said in a Friday news release. “The application, review and approval process will remain consistent with the past process.”
Schools that want to be included in the new priority list will have to reapply, according to the Department of Education. The new applications, which are expected to be very similar to previous ones, will be available by Oct. 15.
Projects are prioritized based on a number of factors, including the physical state of the school facilities and health and safety issues.
The last time applications were open for the funding program, which provides state funding for schools to replace aging, overcrowded or run-down buildings, was In 2010.
There are 71 schools on the list, but most haven’t been completed or are still awaiting funding. Projects can move up or down on the list as circumstances change. Earlier this week, the state added Sumner Memorial High School and Edward Little High School in Auburn to the list of approved projects. They were ranked 15th and 16th on the list, respectively.
State statute sets a maximum debt service limit of $126 million for capital school construction projects funded between 1990 and 2017. State education officials say they’re approaching that limit, prompting the decision to start a new cycle and list.
It could be a long while before any of the new applications lead to groundbreaking on a new school. The department expects the entire application, review and ranking process to take about two years to complete.
Last month, the $26 million Morison Memorial School in Corinth, which was ranked No. 1 on the state’s list, opened its doors to the district’s students for the first time.
The full existing list of rated construction projects is available on the Department of Education’s website.
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