It’s important that high school construction costs be compared fairly. In response to Michael Ouellette’s letter (March 8), Auburn’s New High School Steering Committee would like to provide the following clarifications:

St. Dom’s was a private high school funded 100 percent through donations (the land was donated). It was roughly 78,000 square feet with a construction cost of about $7.4 million that was bid in 2001, some 12 years ago.

Geiger was roughly 91,000 square feet with a construction cost of about $14.5 million that was bid in 2007, just as the construction market was declining.

One of the major differences is that we are looking at a school in the range of 250,000 square feet that is significantly larger than either St. Dom’s or Geiger.

The current Mount Blue High School renovation project is the most recent project that can be used to compare to the EL project. Mount Blue is roughly 226,000 square feet with a construction cost of about $40 million. The construction cost for South Portland is also in the $40 million range.

For comparison purposes, the last budgets we put together show an estimated construction cost for a renovated/expanded EL at about $38.5 million and a construction cost for a new EL at about $48 million. That is comparing figures based on construction costs.

As for comparing construction of a school with developer-built hotel, it is definitely apples and oranges. They cannot be compared for costs.

Pamela Delong, Auburn, for the New High School Steering Committee