BATH — With blasting well underway and fundraising coming along smoothly, work on the new Morse High School continues on schedule for opening in fall of 2020.

“We’re making good progress (with site work),” said RSU 1 Superintendent Patrick Manuel. “We’re on target.”

With construction of the school itself expected to being in about six months, district officials are working to iron out plans for the structure while workers blow up and remove rock to prepare the site.

District representatives will be meeting with Department of Education officials Wednesday to review final plans for the building, which will house the high school and the Bath Regional Career and Technical Center.

The district will also begin the search for a general contractor for the project in the coming months.

“We are going to put out a notice to general contractors for request for qualifications probably on November 21,” said Manuel. “Then the bidding documents will go out no earlier than Jan. 3.”

Construction is expected to begin in March of 2019.

While 89.5 percent of the $74.62 million school will be paid for by the state, local communities will be responsible to kick in the final 10.5 percent — or $7.9 million. To help offset that cost, the district hired Leslie Manning to raise $700,000.

Fundraising is coming along , having exceeded $500,000, or about 75 percent of its goal, according to Manning.

nstrout@timesrecord.com