The state has asked the city of Westbrook to submit a formal application to build a new junior high school on the former DeWolfe property on Stroudwater Street.

City and school officials believe the request suggests that the state is leaning toward that site as the location of a new junior high, as opposed to renovating the old school or building new on the old school site on Bridge Street.

“That indicates to me that that is their preferred site,” said Westbrook School Superintendent Stan Sawyer Tuesday.

Mayor Bruce Chuluda announced the news at a Westbrook City Council meeting Monday night, saying the state has concluded that the DeWolfe site is the “best viable option.”

The former DeWolfe property is a 65-acre plot off Stroudwater Street that the city purchased from Thomas DeWolfe and Elizabeth Faye in the spring for just under $990,000.

The request for a formal application came from the Department of Education team that has worked with Westbrook on an extensive review process. While the final approval would come from the state Board of Education, Sawyer said, he thinks the team will recommend to the board to build on the Stroudwater Street site following the submittal by Westbrook of a formal application.

“It’s great news,” said Sawyer Tuesday. “I think it’s another step forward.”

Between now and final approval, Westbrook has four more things to do in the process in addition to a formal application, said Sawyer Monday night. The city must provide the state with costs of building the school on the Stroudwater Street site, including costs for any roadwork or other construction associated with the project.

Westbrook must also provide at least two appraisals of the property’s value, at least one of which is already complete. The city must also rezone the property from its current rural designation to a designated growth area. The state requires any new school be built in an area designated as a growth zone within the city.

The city council recently gave preliminary approval to a contract zone change that would rezone the site to a growth zone. The council is expected to give final approval to the rezoning in the next month or so.

The city expects to hear from the state Board of Education on final approval for the DeWolfe site in February, according to Chuluda, followed by approval in mid-March for a school concept drawn up by the city’s architect. Chuluda said he’s hoping a public referendum on whether to build the new school would take place sometime between mid-April and early June.