Heeding public opposition to a proposal to send some Naples children to elementary schools in Sebago and Bridgton, school officials are proposing an alternative plan to keep Naples and Casco students at Songo Locks School.

The School Administrative District 61 facilities committee and superintendent reported back to the school board Wednesday on the results of four public meetings held to gather input on a 10-year facilities plan and their proposed modifications. The school board will hold a special meeting on March 30 to decide on the facilities plan.

The new proposal is to install a six-room portable classroom to Songo Locks School and house all 470 kindergarten to fifth-grade students from Casco and Naples in that school. Though returning Sebago Elementary School to the town remains in the plan, the report stressed that long-term plans should remain flexible. Plans for redistricting would be revisited in five years, said Superintendent Patrick Phillips.

“Our longer range plans for Sebago are now more flexible,” Phillips said to the school board Wednesday. “Long-term, that school will not last forever,” he added later.

The facilities plan had proposed using Crooked River Elementary School in Casco for adult education and other programs and redistricting students into three schools – Songo Locks in Naples, Stevens Brook Elementary School in Bridgton and Sebago Elementary School. Due to a lack of space at Songo Locks, 67 Naples children would have been sent to school in Sebago or Bridgton. In the long term, the plan included closing Sebago Elementary School and sending all district students to two elementary schools.

A reduction in school facilities would save the district money, which could then be spent on needed renovations to the high school and vocational center. Additionally, state aid to the district is expected to drop $5 million by 2012 due to the area’s high property values.

Some Naples parents opposed the plan, saying it would negatively impact their children and their community to send some children to school in Sebago or Bridgton.

“Overall, those attending the meetings appeared to agree that the human costs of moving just a handful of students away from their friends outweigh any potential savings,” Phillips wrote in a report to the facilities committee.

Phillips and the facilities committee recommended other components of the plan go forward as planned, such as returning Bridgton Memorial School to the town and moving adult education programs to Crooked River School. To accomodate Bridgton and SAD 72 participants, adult education classes could also be offered at satellite locations.

A priority remains renovations to the high school and vocational center and the construction of a new bus garage and vocational facility.

Some of the financial pressure was taken off the district because of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes funding for schools.

Some of this funding is designated for Title I and special education programs, while other funding is for school subsidies and facility modernization, according to Phillips.

Phillips said he expected the $580,000 previously curtailed from the current fiscal year to be returned to SAD 61 and for the district to receive $145,000 in Title I funding and $277,500 in special education funding for each of the next two fiscal years. Other federal money could supplement state subsidies and fund renovations in the next two years.

“That’s very good news,” Phillips said in a presentation to Sebago selectmen Tuesday. “A few weeks ago we were worried about closing a very large hole in our budget.”

Phillips said the best choice for using federal dollars would be on infrastructure, not on increased operating expenses.

“Our intent is to spend every dollar we can on improving infrastructure,” Phillips said. “Those one-time expenditures actually save us money in the long run.”