LMS lands No. 3 on state construction priority list; final approval, site selection still pending

Superintendent John Suttie reported at the Aug. 21 RSU 23 School Board meeting that LMS was ranked No. 3 on the Maine Department of Education's school construction priority list, a position that the district says gives it a strong chance of state funding in either the first or second funding cycle.

Suttie told the board that the district does not yet know what percentage of the project the state would cover and that a final approval process is expected in October. He said the next step will be determining how and when to select a site for the project, a decision he said will guide subsequent budgeting and planning.

Eric Hanson, who presented to the board on summer facilities work, accompanied Suttie to Augusta in July to meet with the state's construction team and reported on those meetings during the presentation. Board members said the state ranking could bring “millions of dollars” to Old Orchard Beach, but no dollar amounts, timelines or percentage shares were specified at the meeting.

Why it matters: placement on the DOE priority list is the formal step that makes a district eligible for state capital assistance; placement near the top increases the chance of receiving funds in earlier cycles. The board emphasized that key details — the state’s funding percentage for the project, an exact timeline, and the site selection decision — remain unresolved and will determine the scope of the work.

What’s next: the board expects a final decision from the state in October and will begin the site-selection process afterward. The district did not set a public timetable for when construction would begin or provide a cost estimate at the meeting.