Saco planning board finds school application complete; schedules Sept. 16 public hearing

The Saco Planning Board voted Aug. 19 to find complete the Saco School Department’s site‑plan application for a new consolidated primary (PreK–K) and elementary (grades 1–5) campus at Beth Johnston Way, near the Millbrook and Portland Road intersection, and scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 16.

The application, presented by Superintendent Jeremy Ray and civil engineer Jonah DeWaters of Oak Point Associates, covers two separate school buildings on a roughly 57‑acre parcel in the Portland Road zoning district. The board’s completeness vote (6–0) allows staff and the applicant to proceed to a noticed public hearing and later, local site‑plan review steps required before permitting and bidding.

Why it matters: the project will consolidate existing programs into a single campus and is largely state financed—DeWaters said roughly three‑quarters of the project cost is state funded—while the primary school component is locally funded by a voter‑approved referendum. The application also triggers multiple…