Facility Needs in South Portland Schools
Investing in the Future of Our Students
Thank you, South Portland voters, for supporting our $3 million Security and $1 million Facility Improvement school bond referendums. Preparations will begin on this approved work, and we will create plans to address the deteriorating conditions at the high school stadium complex.
SAFETY & SECURITY
Maintain a safe environment so teachers can focus on teaching and students can focus on learning.
Safer elementary schools
Security cameras
More secure entrances
Improved, energy efficient exterior lighting
Image: Example of secure vestibule
FACILITIES
Make updates to aging facilities.
Repair three elementary school roofs
Mitigate water damage at Kaler School
Address SPHS gym entrance and auditorium repairs
Image: Cracked and uneven tiles at entrance to SPHS Beal Gym
ATHLETIC COMPLEX
Provide a home for championship caliber student-athletes.
Significant field improvements with recyclable synthetic turf
New 8-lane track
Permanent bathrooms
New concession stand
Replace decades-old lighting
Image: Portable toilets currently at the SPHS Stadium Complex
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Enhance the safety of our students by strengthening the security of our elementary schools.
Address critical facility needs to extend the life and quality of our physical plant.
Provide more resilient facilities with greater access for student-athletes, physical education, marching band, community members, and our guests.
Safety & Security
Facilities
Ensuring that outdated school roofs are replaced, water damage is mitigated, and other facility improvements are addressed provide for a safe space for learning.
“If we don’t attend to these projects now, it will lead to further damage and create larger concerns for our school buildings.”
–Tim Matheney, Superintendent of Schools
Images: cracked and uneven tiles, water damaged-window, roof deterioration
Athletic Complex
A high-quality stadium complex provides new opportunities for our students and the city.
“Our athletics, co-curricular activities, and community programs would greatly benefit from an update to the stadium complex. It’s time to reinvest in our facilities.”
–Todd Livingston, Athletic Director
Upgrade the track to competition size. When it was originally built in the 1960s, the dimensions of the track did not take soccer or other sports into consideration. The track is also in poor condition and will need to be resurfaced within two years.
Install a synthetic turf field to replace the patchy and uneven surface of the natural grass field. A synthetic turf field is sustainable, made of resilient materials for safety, and more durable for active use.
Create permanent bathrooms to replace the portable toilets currently in place at the stadium. This upgrade will provide 6-8 unisex restrooms for student-athletes and guests to use.
Build a new concession stand that includes a full-size kitchen, utility room, and storage. This will help expand food offerings at games and increase sales to support student activities.
Current conditions
Current conditions include patchy grass, deteriorating football uprights, and a track needing replacement.
Proposed Stadium Complex Plan
Current parameters for the stadium complex include the installation of IRONTURF, a recyclable product and BrockFill, which is composed of organic matter.
Please note that the district does NOT plan to spend funds on the existing seven tennis courts as mentioned in the ballot language unless: 1) conditions change in a significant way or 2) there is money remaining for upgrades/repairs.
Athletic Complex Q&A
On October 8, Superintendent Tim Matheney discussed the proposed athletic complex project with two representatives (Patrick Maguire, Managing Principal, and Ben Gleason, Senior Associate) from the landscape architecture and civil engineering firm Activitas. The firm provides project design and engineering for athletic complexes that feature both grass fields and synthetic turf surfaces.
Budget
Security: $3 million
This would provide for secure vestibules, surveillance cameras, and improved exterior lighting at the elementaries and high school school.
Infrastructure Improvements: $1 million
This would provide for roof projects and other needed facility improvements.
Stadium Complex: $12.3 million
This item would provide for significant field improvements, including a synthetic turf field, permanent restrooms, track replacement, and a new concession stand.
See Superintendent Matheney's Board slides about facility needs from the July 8, 2024 meeting.