The cost of expanding Lisbon’s Philip W. Sugg Middle School could increase as a result of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Superintendent Rick Green said this week.

A year ago, President Trump implemented sweeping tariffs on imported goods as part of an effort to encourage businesses to relocate to the U.S. In many cases, the cost of tariffs has been shifted to consumers; one of the industries most affected has been construction.

Just how much that will affect the Lisbon project won’t be known until it is put out to bid. But the school department’s architectural firm, Stephen Blatt Architect, is warning officials about the possibility costs will rise, Green said.

School officials have not altered construction plans in anticipation of rising costs. However, Green has been considering project changes that could reduce costs if bids come in above the $6 million bond approved by voters in November 2024, he said.

On top of cost concerns, the project is behind schedule as officials await a permit from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Green said. Once that permit is approved, school administration can solicit bids.

Construction was supposed to start this summer, but because of the delay Green is unsure when ground will be broken, he said.

“We appreciate the community’s support and look forward to getting this project started and getting it done. It just seems like it’s taking a while,” he said. “This November, it’ll be two years since it was approved, so we’re definitely behind schedule, but we’re going to have patience and get through the process, get it done right.”

The project will add music and art classrooms specifically constructed to serve the needs of those subjects, Green said. Right now those classes are in other areas of the school that are not designed for them.

There will also be a new space specifically for the library, which will in turn allow the gym to be expanded, he said. And the kitchen, which is small and cannot sufficiently support the number of staff needed to prepare and serve student meals, will be expanded.

The school has experienced an increase in student enrollment in a number of classes, Green said. There are some grades with more than 100 students enrolled, nearing capacity.

As most schools in other communities in Maine prepare for lower enrollment, Lisbon is one of the few where enrollment is expected to hold steady or grow.

Green thinks this is in large part due to all the housing construction in town, he said. The town is close to Cumberland County, and as land becomes more scarce in that area, some people are looking to outlying communities for housing.

Schoolwide student enrollment has remained around 1,200, peaking to roughly 1,250 after the pandemic, he said. The school district is seeing more grades with 100 or more enrolled students than at any other time in the roughly 20 years Green has been with the district.

However enrollment goes, the extra space at the middle school will be well used, he said.

“It’ll set up the middle school for the long-term future, regardless of how many students we have,” he said.