Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston has had it.

To say the school, which was built in the early 1950s, is past its prime doesn’t do justice to the building’s poor condition.

Its wiring isn’t up to code. It’s not appropriately accessible for the handicapped. There’s asbestos. And there just isn’t enough room for the 327 students.

School officials will go before city residents Tuesday, asking for approval to build a new neighborhood school on the current Farwell site. Voters should give them the OK without reservation during the 6:30 p.m. meeting at Farwell School.

In 2002, Farwell was listed as one of the top priorities for renovation or replacement by the state Department of Education. While illustrating the building’s terrible condition, the ranking also provided a golden opportunity. The state, if it approves the plans for a new facility, would pay 46 percent of the $9.5 million projected cost.

That’s a tremendous opportunity for the city of Lewiston to build a state-of-the-art school that could last 50 years or more.

If the straw vote on Tuesday is positive, Lewiston would go back to the Department of Education for a waiver to build on the current site. State rules mandate that new schools be built on at least 9 acres. Farwell sits on 4.6 acres. But because there are no appropriate sites in the Farwell District, the city could qualify for a waiver. With residents’ support, the state should jump on board and allow this project to proceed.

If the vote goes against the plan, then two things would happen. The School Committee would have to find a new location, which wouldn’t be in the Farwell District. That would force the entire city to redistrict, with kids being shuffled to different schools, when the new school opens.

There is simply no reason to vote against the school staying where it is. Nearby property owners will have several more opportunities to protect their own interests. A preliminary building plan would require another vote in the spring, and a citywide referendum on financing the project likely would be on the November ballot.

Right now, the school only has two bathrooms for the more than 300 students. The gym and cafeteria share the same space, and kids are forced to shuffle between the main building and three temporary classrooms. There’s no place for parents to drop off their kids, which creates traffic problems and safety hazards on neighborhood streets.

That could all be fixed.

“If you want to keep young families living in Lewiston, you have to have good schools,” city schools Superintendent Leon Levesque said Thursday. “The community has a responsibility to provide a safe and productive learning environment for its students.”

By saying “yes” on Tuesday, Lewiston residents can take a step into the future.

The last school construction project in Lewiston was 30 years ago. The Farwell Elementary School project would keep the school in the neighborhood where it belongs.

On Tuesday, city residents should vote to keep the school where it is.
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