PARIS — Directors of the Oxford Hills School Board voted 19-1 to approve the district’s Elementary Building Committee’s recommendation to build a consolidated elementary school as the clearest path to replace four schools that would be largely financed by the Maine Department of Education.

Donna Marshall (center, left) of West Paris cast the sole vote during the Oxford Hills’ school board meeting Monday, in opposition to a plan that will close four community elementary schools in favor of a partial consolidation plan, following recommendations made by the district’s elementary school building committee. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

A new, centrally located school is estimated to cost between $70-80 million and is the plan most likely to be supported by DOE.

Maine School Administrative District 17 originally applied to have West Paris’ 130-year-old Agnes Gray Elementary School added to the DOE’s priority list of schools for replacement more than seven years ago and succeeded in having that as well as Oxford Hills Middle School accepted on the list in 2022.

But feedback from DOE’s school construction committee over the last two years has indicated that the state is most likely to approve a project that impacts a larger number of students and makes more efficient use of the district’s schools, which operate largely below capacity. There would be additional savings due to needing fewer administrators, teachers and support staff, and annually SAD 17 would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy and utility expenses.

The state would fund an addition built onto Paris Elementary School to accommodate Agnes Gray closing, but not an independent community school serving 100 or fewer students.

Estimates to build a new school in West Paris range around $25 million and would have to be completely funded by local share.

The building committee and school board determined that a consolidated school serving about 450 students will provide more learning opportunities and provide taxpayers with the best financial value.

It will also save taxpayers as much as $15 million to address and reverse more than a decade of deferred maintenance to elementary schools located in Harrison, Norway, Waterford and West Paris.

West Paris Director Donna Marshall cast the lone vote to oppose the plan. Other directors stated their “yes” votes were primarily motivated by the financial realities and staffing challenges facing SAD 17 and its taxpayers

“The Elementary Building Committee worked with our educators and state experts to assess our opportunities and help define a project that is on the path to state funding approval,” said Troy Ripley, Chair of the Oxford Hills School Board. “The feedback the committee developed this fall will shape district priorities as we design the project and work with our municipal partners.”

The plan goes to a referendum vote next November. Over the next several months district leaders plan to continue public engagement as it continues on the 21-step planning and execution process required by Maine DOE. They will prioritize the following in their planning and outreach:

Transportation:  Travel times are challenging for students and their families across the rural school district while a relocation of the elementary school in Norway will impact walkability.

Class Size and Community:  Parents and residents value small-school communities. Educators and building designers will be working to develop spaces, class sizes and programs that foster a sense of community in a new consolidated elementary school.

School Building Transfers to the Towns:  School buildings in Harrison, Norway, Waterford, and West Paris can be transferred back to the towns for municipal purposes. District leaders will be working with town officials to assess these opportunities, bond obligations, and the resources that may be available to make building improvements and repairs.