FARMINGTON – Mt. Blue High School’s 900 students will be returning next week to an all-new, two-story classroom wing, a food court, library, “The Forum” classroom and administrative offices, in addition to the familiar portable classrooms of last year, as the campus enters its final third year of the $64.7 million expansion and renovation construction project.
Most recently razed are the old auditorium and cafeteria. The three-story classroom building, deemed structurally sound, is undergoing a complete renovation at the front of the school. Those areas will be off limits to students as construction continues through the final year.
Students will have a much easier time navigating around the campus because the construction area is limited to the front of the site, while the recently completed areas are adjacent to the portable classrooms. Student and parent drop-offs and pick-ups will be located from the parking lot behind the school while buses will unload at the left side of the campus (see diagram below).
Besides the new classrooms and other facilities completed and available for student use, the school day schedule has been changed at the high school and Mt. Blue Middle School. The school day will start 10 minutes earlier at 7:45 a.m. and end 10 minutes earlier at 1:50 p.m. (Click here to see the bus schedule.)
Ninth-grade students at the high school will get an orientation jump on things and begin on Wednesday, Aug. 29, while grades 10-12 start on Thursday, Aug. 30. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students also start on Aug. 29.
On Thursday, Mt. Blue’s Superintendent Michael Cormier stood smiling in the Food Court area as a beehive of activity maintained a fast pace around him. One hundred workers are currently putting the finishing touches on new floors, new wall paint, fixture installation and furniture placement to be ready for use in less than a week. In the Food Court, the culinary staff gathered in a training session on how to use all the new kitchen equipment.
“It fits in with today’s kids – who they are and what they need,” Cormier said looking across at the bright tables, lime-green chairs and booths set against a backdrop of a big open space featuring a two-story wall of windows. Those windows look out on what will soon be a courtyard with tables set outside, while underground, geothermal cells will be busy keeping the building cool when it’s hot out.
In addition, a pellet wood boiler will provide a great deal of savings on heating, not only because it will mostly supplant the necessity of fuel oil and its rising costs, but it will be heating an energy efficient “green” building instead of the former 40-year-old leaky one.
The gymnasium, completed in time for graduation in June now has accompanying new locker rooms with soft flooring installed that is tough enough for cleats. Multiple, individual shower stalls and offices for coaches, along with a large storage room for team equipment will be ready for use this fall.
The E Wing, which opened last fall and had its floor tiles installed this summer, will be joined this year by the new two-story F Wing, which will provide additional new science labs, a Family and Consumer Sciences classroom, a greenhouse for science and agriculture study, faculty offices, a fire fighter training room that allows smoke to fill the space and a second story balcony for ladder work. The training area will be available for area towns to get their fire fighting practice completed, Cormier said. The F Wing will also house the automotive, computer repair, and other Foster Tech classes.
Classes continuing at the annex at the former Franklin Shoe building on High Street in Farmington this year will be the bio-medical, business education, graphic design, computer repair and automotive. Automotive will be moving up to the high school’s F Wing in October.
Teachers will be based in faculty lounges that offer a working space for each, as opposed to the traditional, more isolated single classroom base. The idea originates from the college model that utilizes instructional space for a more flexible and efficient use of facilities. The faculty lounges, which also come equipped with a conference room for private meetings or phone calls, is expected to foster a more collaborative atmosphere among teachers who are sharing the same office space.
The Forum, an 180-seat black box style performance space will be ready for students next week, too. Just off the Food Court and across from the administrators’ offices where the main entrance will be when it’s all said and done, the theater-in-the-round design offers a unique space for classroom presentations, small performances and rehearsals. This school year, it will be home to the school’s chorus and orchestra until the new auditorium and its classrooms can be completed.
The library, just off the Food Court, is bigger and brighter than its predecessor. Its chairs and tables were made nearby by W.A. Mitchell, which competitively bid against other companies to be the library’s furniture. A study area, just off the main room, has been included.
Any details of the new building areas that need tweaking after school starts will be completed at night, so students won’t be disturbed.
Two more portable units have been added to the complex used last year for a total of 28 classrooms, Cormier said. “It’s tight, every single space is being used,” he said. The portables provide temporary space for classes that moved out of the three-story building currently undergoing renovation. Some discussion has been spent on what to do with the portables the school district owns once no longer needed. One idea is for the construction class students to convert them into single family housing in a partnership with Community Concepts, Inc.
The sports fields are all currently under construction. The track, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, baseball and football fields will open at Mt. Blue, if all goes according to plan, in two years. A practice field nearby on Seamon Road will need another year before it is ready for use, on the recommendation of the project’s architects and engineers. The school board majority recently voted down a request from some parents who asked that the practice field be opened for football this fall. The team will continue to practice on the field at Academy Hill School in Wilton. Once the portable classrooms are removed, five tennis courts will be constructed on the site and for the first time in the school’s history, tennis practice and tournaments can be held on campus.
The high school project, funded mostly through state money, is being built by Wright-Ryan Construction Inc., of Portland. Site work is the work of E.L. Vining & Son of Farmington. When it’s completed, the new school will be 226,000 square feet or 54 percent larger than the former high school building. Construction is scheduled to be completed by September 2013.
Many local residents and businesses donated more than $600,000 through The Mt. Blue Legacy Campaign. The $600,000 will pay for things not covered by the Department of Education. The Bjorn family, for example, donated $350,000 to help fund the performance auditorium and stage, while Franklin Savings Bank donated $100,000 for athletic event scoreboards, concession stands and bathrooms. Other major donors include the Gould family, which gave money for the installation of tennis courts.
The Mt. Blue learning campus will integrate community services, such as the Franklin County College Network and adult education, with classes offered at Foster Tech Center and the high school’s academic core all at one site. The project is being built with the future in mind, Cormier said. “It’s what really can happen when you look at all the possibilities for the future.”
- The main office is right across from the library.
This looks awesome! As an alumni, I hope to get a tour when its all done!
I agree that a tour is needed for the taxpayers who fund such renovations. Still don’t understand why a library would need to be larger when so much is on a small disc/computer though.
@ $65 million, I would hope this sanctuary starts putting out Mensa scientists left and right…
And just so everyone knows, ‘STATE MONEY’ is TAXPAYER money…it doesn’t magically appear.
The school was new when I went there and it looks so different now. I am so glad that the school is being updated and renovated, two of my granddaughters will be Freshmen this year. I also hope there will be a tour so that alumni and others can see the new school. Farmington and area towns are a great place to live and raise a family. I’ve lived here my whole life and love Farmington.
Thanks for the great coverage on the MBHS project.
Let’s just hope the rest of it is done a lot better than the new gym.
Being a student at Mt. Blue, I feel like the first few weeks at the new school is gonna be wicked hectic, but also really exciting :)
Will the gym actually be in use this fall?
I was in the building the other day and there were signs on the gym doors indicating something along the lines of “no occupancy” or “do not enter.”
Can anyone from administration clarify what’s going on with that?
Thank you.
Being from a town struggling school spruce mountain, it kinda bugs me to see soooo much money going into Mt. Blue. Here we are cutting back on things that I feel are really needed, and seeing all the luxurys mt blue is getting. I mean really. I agree… do kids even USE books anymore to have a library like that??? The kids of your town should feel very fortunate to have such an amazing school…. Yes, I’m jealous ….all our kids should have this amazing space.
the gym should be ready to go this winter for basketball.
I am a student here and seeing these pictures makes me SUPER excited to come back to school! Go construction workers go! :)
Yes, the gym is open and was open last spring. Every floor in the school district is always
cleaned/waxed/repaired/prepared as needed for appropriate use and upkeep- even the new floors at Mallett School and MBHS. I think the new gym is awesome as is the entire project which, by the way, will benefit generations of multi-aged learners in Franklin county and the state for the next 50 years. Well done MTBRSD. I am pleased my tax $$ are going towards this project and education in general. Can’t wait for the public tours to see the completed project!
And to “unathorized,” you apparently have no idea the quality of graduates from the tech program and MBHS. Yes, there ARE doctors/nurses/lawyers/research scientists/teachers/veterinarians/financial planners/editors/engineers/contractors/business owners/TopGun pilots, military academy graduates/social workers/ chefs/electricians/plumbers/foresters/law enforcement officers …and the list goes on and on. There are thousands of amazing FTC/MBHS graduates doing amazing things. You just have to look beyond the fence in your own backyard. Who knows- maybe you will want to try out some of the courses offered in adult ed program….
I am sorry it looks great but does spending money on cosmetics really benefit the kids? It will be interesting to see if grades improve over the next few years. I can see remodeling the tech wing to improve the type of programs they can offer and updating learning materials but did we really need a new library and cafe and gym. I think not. Our town and our government is spending our money like wild fire.
Request to the school district: please publish a map that more clearly shows the traffic route for student drop off. The print, including the street names, in the map accompanying the article is very hard to read. Thanks.
This is great, I graduated in 2001. The school was a dump, it leaked everywhere, it was cold in the winter and way to hot in the warmer months, it was embarrassing to have kids from other schools come to ours. Not to mention how overcrowded the prior set up was. This needed to be done, and I am glad it has been. I wish the school was like this when I was there, looks like it is much more conducive to learning then it was during my school years.
Its great the school is up grading but at the same time I think its over kill when graduating class numbers have decreased so much over the last 20 years. My child will end up at mbhs and yes my child plays sports and does music but i still think its over kill…
I can not believe how cheap some people are when it comes to our kids education. If we value them,they will value themselves. Congrats Mr. Cormier and all for doing a bang up job! Mt. Blue has consistently turned out top notch students and will continue to do so. Thank you.
Being a student at Mt. Blue, I appreciate how our school is coming along. It has been a constant struggle with the construction but, it has truly paid off. The project itself, 65 million is quite a lot of money, I do agree. But, as a student who also has worked so hard in school, I appreciate this more than I can even mention. The newly built facilities will be a great impact on my learning. Go Mt. Blue! I can’t wait to come back next week!
I did my senior year at MBHS 20+ years ago and it SOOO needed a renovation then! Glad that my son will be going to a nicer school.
I think it is wonderful and as an alum the last time I was there it looked very much in need of updating!
Be proud of you cougar country I am!
@odds and ends
One of the biggest lies told in the United States is that “education is important.” Another is that we “value our kids.” Everything is reduced to the 90 day bottom line in our country and then we howl because other nations make us look like a bunch of Gomers.
The new school won’t make kids get better grades – it will be a tool in helping them learn what they need to be competitive in the job market – or it’ll be an empty shell. That is as much up to the parents as it is the teachers. Darn few kids are going to respect the person at the front of the classroom if they hear their parents and their Governor use them as scapegoats for everything from bad breath to the price of gasoline.
Now if they would create a class for “Common Sense” and one for “Sensible Spending” then maybe our future would be a better place.Then againe if this was taught to the “Tree Huggers” years ago today may have been a better place!!
To the student from Jay that is upset about Mt. Blue getting a new school when his or her district is cutting to the bone…..Both of your school districts( Jay and #36) were asked to join Mt. Blue when the construction project was in the planning stages, but they declined. Maybe they might want to reconsider now and help us all save some money and increase options for all area students too!
Anyone willing to discuss?
This all looks amazing! And for those doubting how much the school really needed in renovations, I’m a graduate of 2012 and I remember ceiling tiles falling in the hallways, the heaters leaking dangerous fumes, and school being cancelled because we didn’t have water. Is that where you would want YOUR kid? The school is looking great now, and 65 million will last for a long time.
WOW! It looks so wonderful! As a parent I would love to be able to have a “tour” : ) Nice job to everyone involved. I know it must be difficult to be under construction, but it really looks like it will have a nice outcome!
High five, @Tony in Wilton.
Proud to count myself among those trying to make the new Mt. Blue more than an empty shell.
And regular readers of the Daily Bulldog know I’ve a standing invitation. Interested in seeing your tax dollars at work? Contact the Mt Blue office, get in touch with me, and I’d gladly show you the place, FTC and all. Tour the building, see what teachers do, and, most importantly, the authentic, important learning going on in that place that may not necessarily get reflected in standardized test scores. (The last time I checked, the SAT does a terrible job of assessing how well someone can manage a woodlot, prepare a multi-course restaurant quality meal, organize a community fundraiser, craft a one-act play, speak and write in near fluent French, and build an electric car.)
We’ve got some pretty amazing students, more than deserving of these new digs.
Oh, @DRAGONFLY, get enrolled in a course at FTC and you will be able to enjoy this new space as well. (And take a look at all the people reading books around there. :) )
As a junior this year.. this looks amazing and I can’t wait! We really needed a new school!.
I just did a little math.
$65,000,000 divided by 50 years (how long this facility is slated to be useful) = $1,300,000
$1,300,00 divided by 2000 (approximate number of families in Farmington, based on 8Kish people, assuming four people per family – very round, very approximated number) = $650.00
$650.00 divided by 12 (months per year) = $54.00
$54.00 can buy:
1) approximately two take-out dinners;
2) approximately five trips to Gifford’s for small cones for said family of four;
3) approximately one tank of premium gasoline;
4) I don’t know how many packs of cigarettes;
5) I don’t know how many suitcases of PBR;
6) I don’t know how many bags of cheez curls.
Over the next fifty years – presumably the last of my time here in Western Maine – I’d personally rather have a population of people educated in a safe building with progressive educational spaces and facilities than any of the things I’ve just listed. How ’bout you, Mt. Blue RSD citizens?
This Is awesome. This project is just what the kids of the community need. Being an alumni I know that many kids were less than thrilled with the environment of the last school. Not saying I didn’t have a fun time there, but now more kids will realize that they should be taking advantage of their time at school; instead of griping about what an obscene place they are in. In my opinion this is taxpayer money well spent. The community will eventually see a change for the better, in the attitude of the students. Go cougars.
Being a senior this year means a lot to me.. I just want this year to be good.. but with all this construction, I don’t know.. I kinda miss the old school.. Like, lime green chairs? not even the school colors.. nice call guys..
So. this is what I think… I think that the school looks amazing… or atleast whats done so far! From the front, yeah it looks like a pile of crap. As a student I find it very difficult to try and navigate through the school, having all of the construction made it really hard not only with the education part but with sports. Having to ride with other just to get to the field for practice and what not was really a pain! Not being able to have a home field for Mt. Blue Football, Mt. Blue Softball, etc. really made us look like not a very good school! I mean come on that is why it is called MT. Blue Football. Not Kemp Field football! The gym is tiny and I miss visiting the old gym for sporting events such as basketball games and seeing just how big the gym really was, now its tiny and barely fits all of the students! I hate being one of the few unlucky students that has to go through this middle stage with all of the construction.. but I just cant help that. And if you think the old school was terrible you should see the “portable classrooms” a.k.a trailers that the roofs have cracks across the ceilings, and just are really terrible! I mean What school has trailers for classrooms! Yeah being a student now, sucks more then ever. But i can only imagine the school that younger kids to come will have! You watch though.. more freedom for us.. (having classes that you have to walk to outside,etc.) will just lead to more trouble! Pace
I graduated in 2010…being one of the final classes to have graduated from the old school makes me jealous to have missed this but it will definitely be a great improvement. Nostalgically, I will always miss the old school where both of my older siblings graduated before me, but this new school will definitely have a ton of bang for the buck. Especially the Digital Media program’s involvement (FTC) with state of the art production methods being employed that will allow so much great work to be done including sports / choral / orchestra / theater productions that will benefit many other aspects of the school. Shout out to Chris Davis!
Enjoy the new school guys.
Brian
With all due respect to Ms. Huish outstanding math skills. I wish people would remember that the all the costs of the school are not being paid for directly by the district. The vast majority of the cost of construction comes from the state. Here’s how it works:
The state has a fund which is drawn from to rebuild/renovate old schools. They have a list of school districts, and when your school district comes to the top of the list of those needing renovation, the district is offered the opportunity to participate. If the district chooses not to participate, they go to the bottom of the list and another school is offered the funding.
So our tax dollars then go to all the other schools in the state that need improvement and we keep our old school with all its problems. Choosing not to would not have saved us an appreciable amount of money. Out tax dollars would just have been spent outside our community, to benefit other students in other parts of the state, providing additional construction jobs in those areas.
This opportunity is a huge bargain for the school district.. And a wonderful benefit for our children.
T.F., it might be pointed out to you that, for years, the ski team, tennis team, and golf team has had to travel to get to practices. The track team hasn’t a home meet for as long as I can remember because our track was not usable due to its poor condition.
The football team is not the only team using an alternate location. All the sports teams are in the same boat, and all the players have to figure out a means of transportation to and from practice.
Try to keep a positive attitude and appreciate the many, many people in the Mt. Blue school district who go out of their way every single day to give you a positive educational and extracurricular experience.
Remember, too, that there are much worse places in the world to have to go to school, as well as places where school wouldn’t even be an option.
We are very blessed to live where we live and have the opportunities we have been afforded.
Trust me I know, I played on the golf team, that was a pain, I played on the softball team (also a pain), Some peoples parents wouldn’t even let their kids ride with the upperclassmen (only way of transport on some days). They had to personally get a ride over there.. (some of which may have been our coaches fault) There is only so much that the school can do. I used to do track and field when I was little and we would always have practice at the Highschool track, and yes I know it was a disaster, we couldn’t ever have meets or anything… But they need to figure something out where there is a better way of getting places, whether it means telling the coaches that they HAVE to have practices at a certain time..as to have the ability to use the after school bus, or setting something else up.. We didn’t even have a bus for golf practices, I am not even sure how my younger brother will be getting to practice now that my parents work and he is too young to drive! They rely on the students too much and need to look though the eyes of one of us!! Again..I am happy that there will be a new school, just not happy that I am one of the few unlucky students to have to go through this stage of the whole thing…but guess what… Someone’s gotta do it! Pace!
Heather Huish and Terri Greenough, We agree!
Our children deserve the very best:)
Tony in Wilton has hit the nail on the head. “Darn few kids are going to respect the person at the front of the classroom if they hear their parents and their Governor use them as scapegoats for everything from bad breath to the price of gasoline.”
While I’m sure the new construction will be a good thing for Mt. Blue students, the building does NOT determine the quality of the instruction, and more important, it takes a partnership between parents and educators and community to produce well-educated citizens.
Bad enough when some parents bad-mouth the school, but when the gov. implies that test scores of Maine kids aren’t what they should be because teachers need to be better trained?? Anyone who does his/her homework would see just how much ongoing training teachers get – we take classes, pursue advanced degrees, participate in collaborative professional development activities such as Literacy Leaders Network and Central Maine Inclusive Schools workshops, serve on math or curriculum or technology committees to broaden our knowledge, update our skills and help make decisions about educating our students in those areas…the list is endless. Most of this takes place after school and during the summer (no, a teacher’s day does NOT consist of just the hours your child is with us).
The kids who are most successful generally have strong parental support; it truly does take a village (parents, school staff and community) to raise and educate a child.
I think that the new school will be beautiful and it is great to have a new school where it is well deserved. I remember freezing in all of my classes due to faulty windows. I also believe that people should not complain about the cost, a new school was certainly neccesary and everyone will enjoy it!
I read in the print media about the new athletic facilities at Mt. Blue HS. This is great and wonderful for the athletes. Why isn’t an equal amount of money spent on the music program?
TF – quit yer complainin’! And if you don’t like the current terms of joining sports, don’t. Your concerns are lame! I grant you, it is unfortunate that this is your time and things are in a state of flux, but that’s the way it is, get over it.