BATH — Site prep for Bath’s $74 million high school project is underway at the Wing Farm property, with construction of the new school expected to start in March.

“They’re going to continue to develop the site to ready it for the building come March,” said Ron Lamarre, an architect with Lavallee Brensinger. “And hopefully the building will be done and completed for a 2020 open.”

RSU 1 officials held a cookout at Wing Farm Wednesday afternoon before taking visitors on a tour. Amid the whir of vehicles moving in and out of the site, Lamarre explained that crews are blasting out the ledge, crushing the rock, and transporting it off site. That process will continue through March.

“It’s been a two-year journey up to this point, but we’ve had great community support, excellent participation on the committees that we’ve had working on this project all along, and I think we’re in the right place in terms of our schedule,” School Board Chair Stephen August said. “Everyone’s excited.”

“It’s a good feeling to get to this point with the site work,” Superintendent Patrick Manuel said. “I think it’s been pretty smooth.”

Voters in the four communities that make up RSU 1 – Arrowsic, Bath, Woolwich and Phippsburg – approved issuing bonds up to $74.62 million to fund the project last November. Most of that cost will be picked up by the state, but local taxpayers will be responsible for $7.9 million, or 10.5 percent of the total cost.

The school has hired a fundraiser to offset that local cost. According to Manuel, the district has already raised $500,000 toward its $700,000 goal.

nstrout@timesrecord.com