The Scarborough Board of Education has agreed to move forward with plans to build a new intermediate school and an addition at the middle school, with an eye to putting it to a town-wide vote in November 2006.

At its meeting last Thursday, the board agreed to begin forming building committees for both projects and asked Superintendent Bill Michaud to lay out what he wanted the committees to do.

The board has not taken a vote to move ahead with the project, which is estimated to cost between $40 million and $54 million, but most members seem to be in favor of the proposals. However, there is still some question as to how to pay for the work.

Michaud recommended the board place the issue on the 2006 ballot in two separate articles. If approved Michaud envisions the Wentworth construction beginning first and then starting work at the middle school addition.

“I know that’s controversial,” Michaud said. “However, the number of students we have and the need we have for those students isn’t going to change.”

Michaud feels there is enough time between now and the ballot deadline in September 2006 to get planning done on both projects and provide voters with enough information on them.

According to Dan Cecil, a partner at Harriman Associates, the architectural firm working on the plans, the planning process is about 10 percent complete when a district goes to referendum vote. This is to ensure that enough planning has been done to give a solid idea of the project, but if the vote fails then a lot of money has not been spent on planning.

School board Chairman David Beneman said now is a proper time to schedule a joint meeting with the Town Council to discuss the plan. The Town Council must approve any bond issue before it goes on the ballot.

Currently under discussion is an approximately 185,000-square-foot intermediate school. The existing Wentworth building, including modular classrooms, measures about 104,000 square feet.

The new building would add five new classrooms, a 7,500-square-foot theater, and include more space for special programming, foreign language, labs and physical education.

The middle school is proposed to expand by about 85,000 square feet, creating a total building of about 190,000 square feet. The current building, including portable classroom space, is 125,000 square feet. The expansion will allow for the elimination of the portable classrooms, as well as adding six new classrooms.

It will add more space for foreign language, special education labs, art, music and gym. The cafeteria also would be expanded by about 1,400 square feet.