DIXFIELD – A major step in the construction of a new SAD 21 elementary school happened late last week when the district closed on the purchase of 35 acres.

Superintendent Tom Ward said Monday afternoon that he, lawyer David Austin, and the three landowners – Isadore Brann, Andy Walker and June Moore – finalized the deal in Austin’s Rumford office on Thursday.

The price: $55,000.

The state will pay about half of the land cost and the district will pay the rest.

Ward said the district has been setting aside $40,000 annually for the past several years to pay for items that the district wants but the state won’t pay for. The state is footing the bill for the $14 million, 24-classroom, two-level building. Besides the classrooms, the new school will house about 12 smaller, specialty rooms, a gymnasium and stage, and a cafeteria.

He said the state approved about 20 acres for the school. The district decided to purchase additional land for future athletic fields.

Among other items the so-called set-aside fund will be used for is construction of a regulation-size athletic field and electronic “smart” boards in classrooms rather than traditional blackboards.

The next step is to gather eight pre-application bids from general contractors.

Ward said calls for those bids went out during the summer, but only three responded. The state requires eight general contractor pre-application bids before the actual project can go out to bid.

Because of the need to seek more pre-application bids, Ward said that ground more likely will be broken in the spring.

The district plans to open the school, located just outside of West Peru on state Route 108, in the fall of 2008 or after Christmas recess in January 2009.

Directors and the public will be updated on the construction project by Lyndon Keck of the Portland Design Team at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, at Dirigo High School.