South Portland city officials got their first up-close look at what $47 million can buy on Wednesday, Oct. 16, when city councilors joined the school board for a walk through the newly constructed wing of South Portland High School. Joined by City Manager Jim Gailey and Finance Director Greg L’Heureux, the officials toured the new cafeteria, lecture hall, learning commons and administrative offices, along with the science wing and exercise rooms, now in the final stages of construction. The new wing, funded primarily from a $41.5 bond approved by voters in 2010, will open to students in January, when contractors turn to tearing down a 1970s wing known as “the annex.”

– Duke Harrington

South Portland city councilors and school board members get their first look at the new cafeteria, part of a 100,000-square-foot addition now under construction at South Portland High School.Led by City Manager Jim Gailey, South Portland city councilors and school board members tour the new classroom wing at South Portland High School. One challenge for the school once it opens, said Superintendent Suzanne Godin, will be filling the display cases such as the one at left. The school had been purposefully filled with such cases to display student work.South Portland city councilors and school board members descend the central staircase in the newly constructed wing of South Portland High School, from the upper two class room levels – colored blue for sky on the top floor and green for grass on the first floor – to the lower level, colored red for ground. At this level, the main entrance will be locked down each day once students arrive, with visitors allowed entry only after visual confirmation at the new front office.A worker from PC Construction attends to detail in the new conference room being built at South Portland High School, where posts are in place for the technology-enabled tables soon to be delivered. On Monday, the City Council awarded a $27,200 bid for the room’s audio system to ProAC Systems of Portland.South Portland City Councilor Linda Cohen and school board member Sara Goldberg check out a water fountain, built with a motion-activated spout to fill water bottles, during an Oct. 16 tour of the new building, still under construction.The weight room in the new wing at South Portland High School already is open to students, while the rest of the newly built section will open in January. Beal Gym, across the hall from this room, required more renovation work than originally anticipated, but is expected to open in time for the first game of basketball season.South Portland city councilors and school board members walk by the new cafeteria, learning commons, science wing and main entrance to South Portland High School, scheduled to open to students in early January. The school logo was built and donated by project contractor PC Construction, when its low bid, nearly $2 million higher than anticipated by the building committee, threatened to cut the iconic sign from the project.The large window of the new cafeteria at South Portland High School, overlooking the football field, will be serving students when it opens in early January.South Portland School Superintendent Suzanne Godin, center, shows off the new cafeteria line being built at South Portland High School.