GORHAM – Gorham has a history of finding new uses for its old schools – the former Shaw Junior High School on South Street was converted to Gorham Municipal Center, and the former Robie School on Gray Road now serves as a community center.
But now, the town is facing a new challenge – two schools have become vacant at the same time.
An educational tenant vacating one building and a new school opening in September replacing an older one has resulted in two facilities available for conversion to other purposes.
The reuse of one – the former Little Falls School on Acorn Street – is expected to be discussed by town councilors next month. The talks likely will revisit some ideas previously put forward to renovate the building for public safety departments, which are now sharing cramped quarters at 270 Main St.
“I want to listen to all options,” Matthew Robinson, chairman of the Town Council, said this week.
The Town Council will meet in a workshop on Tuesday, July 19, in Gorham Municipal Center, 75 South St. Gorham Town Manager David Cole said the Little Falls School would likely be one of several topics on its agenda.
In recent years, Little Falls School, built in the 1950s, has been leased to Sebago Educational Alliance, a collaborative of local school districts for students requiring special help. But the alliance, expanding its program, needed more room and is relocating to Jewett School in Buxton, opening a summer program there on Tuesday, July 5.
The other vacancy will occur when the town’s new Great Falls Elementary School opens in September, replacing the White Rock School.
But since it hasn’t been turned over to the town by the school district yet, the council will first focus on Little Falls School.
“White Rock will probably be turned back sometime in 2012-13,” Superintendent Ted Sharp said this week.
The future for the Little Falls School could include reuse as either a police or fire station, but the council’s workshop discussion won’t be limited.
“You can bounce off a ton of ideas,” Robinson said about the value of the workshop chat.
Gorham and Windham now share a fire station in South Windham across the Route 202 bridge from Little Falls.
Robinson said Little Falls School is located in the geographic center of Gorham. The vacant Little Falls School is also a short distance from the new elementary school off Sebago Lake Road.
Past talks between Windham and Gorham have considered renovation of the Little Falls School for a fire station. That scenario would close the present South Windham Fire Station that Robinson said is “falling into the river.”
But Robinson said any reuse plan costing Gorham more than $250,000 would have to be approved by Gorham voters in a referendum.
If the town doesn’t need it, even selling the Little Falls School and its 6.5 acre-site could be on the table. The school is served by public water and sewer and town records lists value of the building and land at $1,366,700.
However, said Robinson, “I don’t think selling it would be an option now.”
The Gorham School Department last utilized Little Falls School in the fall of 2003 for its sixth grade while awaiting opening of its new middle school. Little Falls School was built to house elementary students and replaced the Fred Robie School on Gray Road in Little Falls.
Little Falls School also was once a kindergarten school and will again house kindergarten-age children, at least short term, under a Gorham Recreation Department program. Cindy Hazelton, director of Gorham Recreation, said it would operate “before-and-after-the-bell” programs there, including one for kindergarten kids.
Gorham schools have half-day kindergarten classes. Hazelton expected her department to move in by Monday, Aug. 22.
The $21 million Great Falls Elementary School is slated to open in September with Jane Esty as principal. She recently served as administrative principal at Village School.
The new school marks a shift in Gorham to three K-5 elementary schools. The move reshuffles teachers, staff and students. The other two elementary schools are Village and Narragansett.
Norman Justice, director of facilities management for the School Department, described the quality of workmanship at the new school as exceptional and on time.
“They’re going to make it for school opening,” Justice said this week.
Justice said furnishings would be delivered to the new school on Monday, Aug. 1.
Architect Lyndon Keck of PDT Architects, Superintendent Ted Sharp and James Hager, a School Committee member and chairman of the Building Committee, along with Justice, who is the project owner’s representative, will tour the new school construction on Thursday, June 30.
Last week, Justice’s crew was moving into storage pallets of boxes that teachers at Narragansett School packed with schoolbooks and other classroom supplies destined for the new school.
Justice said the White Rock School for the time being would be used for storage of used school furnishings.
Kindergarten teacher Rosalie Mosher packs up her classroom at
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