The Westbrook City Council gave unanimous final approval Monday to a contract-zone change for a site where a new junior high school could be built.

The zone change altered the designation of the Stroudwater Street site near Westbrook High School from rural to growth zone to comply with state requirements for building a new school. The move is a final step for Westbrook to receive funding from the state to build a new junior high school.

The city and school department will now await a final decision from the state on whether it will fund a new junior high on the 65-acre plot of land the city purchased for that purpose in April from Thomas DeWolfe and Elizabeth Faye for just under $990,000.

The city expects to hear from the state Board of Education on final approval for the DeWolfe site in February, according to Mayor Bruce Chuluda, followed by approval in mid-March for a school concept drawn up by the city’s architect.

City and school officials are working to complete other remaining tasks before the state will give final approval, and hope to hold a public referendum for all Westbrook residents on the new school some time between mid-April and June.

The city has worked with the state through an extensive review process. If the city complies will all the state’s requirements, the state will refund 100 percent of the costs of constructing a new school, with the exception of any extra construction the city chooses, such as a new auditorium. The cost of a new school is expected to be upwards of $30 million.

Ultimately, the state has final say on whether to renovate the existing Wescott Junior High, build new on the existing site or build new elsewhere. However, a December request by the state that the city provide a formal site application for the Stroudwater Street property suggests that the state is leaning toward the site as a new spot for the school.

Originally, the city and state were expecting to renovate or build a new school on the current Wescott Junior High site, off Bridge Street. Extensive problems with both the school and the site, however, led all parties to look elsewhere.

The city bought the Stroudwater Street site in the spring as an option for a school should the current Wescott Junior High site proved less attractive after review, which it did.