KENNEBUNK — The Regional School Unit 21 and Wells-Ogunquit Community School District school boards are feeling the pressure to make a decision on whether to form a new $60 million two-district high school, as the two boards are establishing plans to renovate their current schools.

“We can’t wait six or nine months to see if this could work,” said Diane Robbins, RSU 21 school board member, at the two boards’ third meeting at Kennebunk Elementary School on Thursday.

Although school board members said they hoped a decision would be made on whether to pursue further talks at the meeting, discussion is needed from the two boards on the subject at their separate board meetings.

Elaine Tomaszewski, WOCSD’s superintendent of schools, said the district’s school board will discuss the plan at their Aug. 10 meeting. Since the two boards last met, the WOCSD school board members have only spoken on the subject outside of a formal meeting, Tomaszewski said.

Andrew Dolloff, RSU 21’s superintendent of schools, said the new school would likely be built on the Kennebunk High School site, requiring 27 acres of land for a 1,400-student population. The school would be built with extra room for growth in student population over the coming years.

A third floor would need to be added to the current KHS building, and one wing would be destroyed because its structure wouldn’t be able to take the weight of an additional floor, Dolloff said.

More property would be required to build additional athletic fields off-site, according to Dolloff, adding to the $60 million cost.

“All school consolidations are complicated when you get to the financials,” said Tomaszewski.

A cost-sharing agreement between the two districts for such a school is yet to be determined. Possible options for the sharing would be splitting the costs between Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel, or tuitioning students from WOCSD to the new school.

Dolloff said a two-year study would probably be necessary to calculate cost savings, if any.

The RSU 21 school board was presented in late July with a master facilities plan for $40-50 million in construction to schools across their district ”“ including KHS ”“ but the Wells-Ogunquit district is just beginning to measure the scope of renovations needed to remodel Wells High School.

WHS requires new science labs, a bigger auditorium and improved classrooms, among many other things, according to the district. Kennebunk High School’s $35-45 million renovation would include relocating parking, remodeling playing fields, and general improvements to the building itself.

At the two boards’ last meeting, RSU 21 student representatives Brian Amoroso and Emily Junker expressed concern about the schools possibly losing their identities if a combined high school is built. The larger size of the school would also make them uncomfortable, they said.

“They kind of let us know that most of their friends aren’t too excited about it,” said Maureen King, vice chair of the RSU 21 school board.

Tim Hussey, RSU 21 school board member, said the population of the school wouldn’t be a concern to him because he has seen many schools in the region of equal size become very successful. What he is more concerned about, he said, is whether there will be any substantial money saved.

Tomaszewski said she disagreed.

“We’re in the education business, and we’re in the serving kids business,” she said, adding that she’s seen other schools go through consolidation for the reason of saving money ”“ and regret it.

Listing the positives of a new high school at their last meeting, members said it would help increase curriculum offerings, give community synergy, spread costs over a much larger tax base, and create greater competitiveness in athletes on sports teams.

What may negatively impact the districts is staff cuts, complex cost-sharing between towns, and the pushing out of students from extracurricular activities, according to the boards’ list.

Although RSU 21 members said they are hesitant to take on a project of this magnitude, they said they are approaching it with open minds.

“We may have gained something by having this discussion,” said Robbins.

According to Robbins, even if the new high school isn’t built, the two boards will now have a stronger line of communication, which may lead to other advancements.

— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326, or at mkiernan@journaltribune.com.