AUBURN — A straw vote on the proposed construction of a $125.8 million Edward Little High School is set for Wednesday evening.
The vote is required by the state to gauge community support, but is not binding.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the high school gymnasium at 77 Harris St. It will start with an overview about the school and the budget, followed by questions and answers.
“It’s important for people to attend, especially to demonstrate to the state that our community is in support of the project,” Superintendent Katy Grondin said.
A sketch of the proposed Edward Little High School in Auburn is by Harriman architects of Auburn. A straw poll to gauge support of residents will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the high school gym at 77 Harris St. in Auburn.
The state is paying $109.34 million toward the school’s projected cost, while Auburn taxpayers are being asked for $16.46 million for amenities not covered by the state. Those amenities include a performing arts center with a 1,200-seat auditorium, a top-notch athletic complex with a turf field, extra parking, part of the geothermal heating and cooling system and science labs.
To get such a school and have the state pay 87 percent of its cost is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” the community has long awaited, Grondin said.
If voters approve the local share of the school, annual taxes on a property valued at $150,000 would increase an estimated $96.
It took years for Auburn to get high enough on the Maine Department of Education’s school construction list to qualify for state funding. At one time, planners discussed asking Auburn residents to spend $60 million to $65 million in local taxes to build a high school.
Officials have said the high school, built in 1961, has poor ventilation, which has at times resulted in mold formation, inadequate heating and cooling, a basement cafeteria with no windows, one science lab for 1,000 students and no auditorium.
The School Committee approved the concept and design, and costs for a new school March 6. The City Council added its approval Monday night.
Voters will have the final say at a referendum scheduled for June 11.
If approved, the school would open in 2023 on the same site as the current high school.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
