Lewiston educators dream of a new fine arts center. In Auburn, it’s a new high school.

SAD 75 officials in Topsham say some walls and a high school addition would be perfect for them.

If only they can rank high enough on the list.

Across the state, 33 school systems have applied for state help to construct, refurbish or build additions to 67 schools. This spring, the state will rank the projects in order of need. Schools at the top of the list will share approximately $130 million in state aid.

Those at the bottom will get nothing.

School systems submitted their applications over the summer, and they are being evaluated by state officials now. Seventy percent are applying for at least the second time.

In SAD 75, officials are asking for the third time for help with Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. Built in 1973 for 900 students, it was designed as an open-concept school with few walls. More than 30 years later, 1,100 students attend the school, with some forced into portable units. Partitions have been erected to turn the open-concept into traditional classrooms, but without permanent walls, noise is a constant problem.

Superintendent J. Michael Wilhelm said SAD 75 would like to renovate the old school and add some classrooms. The first time it applied for state help through the Major Capital Improvement Program, Mt. Ararat High School ranked in the low 40s. The second time, it ranked in the low 20s.

Typically, schools need to be in the top 10 or 12 to get money.

Wilhelm is realistic, but hopeful, about this year.

“You’ve got to be hopeful or why try?” he said.

Most systems want help with only one or two schools.

Portland has applied for nine schools and Brunswick has applied for five. Lewiston wants money for four.

Lewiston Superintendent Leon Levesque wants to add a fine arts center to the city’s 1,300-student high school. Built in 1973, the school has no auditorium and too little classroom space for the arts programs students to meet state standards.

Levesque also wants help with Martel, Pettingill and Lewiston Middle schools. All three buildings are old and in need of major repairs.

Although he applied, Levesque isn’t certain that any Lewiston schools will make the top of the construction list.

“It’ll be a tough application because of all the needs across the state,” Levesque said.

State officials are now evaluating the schools that have applied for money. Schools will likely know where they rank by early spring.

Some highly-ranked schools will receive more state money than others. Construction aid will be calculated within general purpose aid, which is based on a complex formula that includes school enrollment, a town’s tax rate and a town’s valuation.

The state usually awards school construction money every two years. The last round was awarded in 2002, when the state had $150 million available. More than 90 schools applied for funding then. About a dozen received money.

Breakout box

Area school systems applying for major construction help:

Auburn: For Edward Little High School

Brunswick: For Coffin School, Hawthorne School, Longfellow School, Jordan Acres School and Brunswick Junior High School

Lewiston: For Martel Elementary School, Pettingill Elementary School, Lewiston Middle School and Lewiston High School,

SAD 9: For W.G. Mallet School and Mt. Blue High School

SAD 61: For Sebago Elementary School, Lake Region High School and Technical Center, Crooked River Elementary School

SAD 75: For Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham

Union 30: For Durham Elementary School and Lisbon High School