Students working in one of the portable classrooms at Eight Corners Primary School in Scarborough in February 2023. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

The Scarborough School Building Advisory Committee is expected to narrow its options for a solution to overcrowding within the district to two when it meets Monday night.

The committee has been analyzing five different options and searching for ways to cut their costs. Initial estimates pegged most options with price tags higher than $130 million, a target deemed digestible by most taxpayers based on a resident survey in 2023 following the failure of a $160 million proposal that November. However, many options came with roadmaps developed by Harriman Architects to reduce overall costs.

Last Monday, the committee added two more options to the table. One is a hybrid of multiple options already under consideration, while the other is a smaller version of the consolidated school option. The latter option stems from the results of a recent community survey on the project, said Charlie Peters, chair of the committee.

Peters told the Leader on Tuesday that the committee is basing its decisions on four benchmarks: the school district’s programming requirements, results from community survey, the board of education’s priorities for a solution, and cost.

“Throughout the month of March, we have been looking at scope reductions, deferment options and alternative solutions to cut costs while still meeting the benchmarking priorities,” Peters said. “This has been an arduous task, but has led to some very creative solutions and some great compromises. This will continue at a more granular level with the final two options.”

The resident survey conducted by the committee has bred informative results, Peters said.

“The survey indicated a high level of concern for the status of the current schools. That tells us that the community understands the importance of this project, and the strong desire to find the best solution,” he said. “Cost was also a concern for survey respondents, so the solution we select must be within reasonable cost.

“We are still targeting a solution under $130 million.”

Following the March 24 decision, the committee is slated to present an update to the board and Town Council at a workshop April 2. A community forum is to follow later that month.

“April will be dedicated to refining the preferred options and getting community input,” Peters said. “This spring will also see another survey, this time focused on getting input on the final two options, which will inform our selection of a supported solution that we will recommend to the board of education by the end of May.”