The Cape Elizabeth School Board is considering scope reductions to a proposed new middle school project that failed by less than 200 votes at the November 2024 election.

The $94.7 million referendum that failed 51% to 49% included $4.8 million for the town to repurpose the original 1934 school building, currently part of the middle school. The project to build a new middle school, build additions and renovations at the elementary school and renovations at the high school rang in at $89.9 million.

Harriman Architects, the consultants and designers of the project, estimates that if the town were to propose the same $89.9 million project in a June 2025 referendum it would cost $93.9 million due to inflation in construction costs.

“Our estimators who focus on school construction have projected a 4% escalation from November of 2024 to June of 2025,” said Lisa Sawin of Harriman Architects at the school board’s Jan. 14 meeting. “That takes the $89.9 million to $93.9 million.”

Reducing proposed classroom sizes, the cafeteria, gymnasium and more in the proposed middle school could bring the project down to roughly $85.5 million, including those inflation-related increases. That would include reducing proposed classroom sizes from 800 square feet – which is the recommended size by the state – to 775 square feet. That size would still be larger than the average classroom size at the current middle school of 714 square feet.

The cafeteria is proposed to decrease from 256 square feet to 192 square feet; the gym bleacher seating from 300 square feet to 150 square feet; and gym floor seating from 510 square feet to 480 square feet.

A draft design Harriman Architects provided to the Cape Elizabeth School Board of what reductions to the proposed middle school’s cafeteria and gymnasium could look like. Contributed / Design by Harriman Architects

Adding some items included in the proposed elementary and high school renovations – such as mechanical upgrades and roofing and flooring replacements – to the school capital improvement budget over the course of 12 years could bring the cost down to around $83.9 million, Sawin said.

“This plan to use CIP, maintenance and repair would mean using what is in our current budget and using that same amount – potentially with a 2% inflation factor every year – but using the same amount in the FY 2025 budget over 12 years,” said Superintendent Christopher Record. “We would have a CIP budget whether we had a project or not … CIP is intended to improve our buildings.”

Some of those who opposed the 2024 proposal said they believe Cape Elizabeth could do with just renovations and additions at the town’s three schools. The school board decided in November to continue to pursue a new middle school as part of its next proposal, and some board members echoed their reasoning at the Jan. 14 meeting.

“When someone has a lot of credit card debt, the advice is you find the one with the largest balance and highest interest rate and you pay that one first and work your way down,” said board Vice Chair Cynthia Voltz. “By addressing the middle school first and replacing that first we are taking sort of our biggest expense – our biggest maintenance expense, our biggest educational gap, our biggest security risk – off the table first and then we’re able to work our way down with Pond Cove and the high school.”

It makes the most financial sense to do so, board Chair Phil Saucier said.

“Part of the three-school solution must be resetting the clock on one of those buildings,” Saucier said. “It doesn’t make sense to have a three-school solution where year 10 would require tens of millions of dollars.”

The school board also authorized the superintendent to accept donations toward the project.

“We are looking for Cape citizens, or anyone, actually, who has an interest in helping us move forward with this project to reach out and talk with me, the business manager, and finance director,” Superintendent Record said. “Before a donation is accepted, it will come back before the board for you to consider.”

Board members said they would like to hold a workshop in the near future to discuss what reductions they are willing to make to the November 2024 proposal. They also noted discussions with the Town Council need to be had in order to determine when it would be best to schedule a referendum.