By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
    
Biddeford High School students will return to classes next week in a building that looks drastically different from the one they left last June.
Renovation of the school continued full-speed through summer as crews worked in classrooms, hallways and other areas of the building. Students next week will enter school for the first time through a new front entrance.
Principal Britt Wolfe said work on renovated classrooms will be complete when students return to school next week. Classes begin Tuesday for students in first through 12th grade. Kindergarten students begin their school careers Sept. 9.
The $34 million renovation project is scheduled to be complete next year. Project Manager Scott Clark of Ledgewood Construction said as many as 150 crew members worked two shifts per day during summer. Crews worked either six or seven days each week to complete as much work as possible while students were on summer vacation.
Superintendent Sarah-Jane Poli she is impressed by how well the project has gone and how nice the building looks. During a tour of the school Tuesday, she said she is amazed at the progress each time she visits the building.
“It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous,” she said. “It’s what we’ve been waiting for.”
Wolfe said the new office area, an addition to the building, provides more space for staff and students. The new library, which is lined with walls of windows that overlook Maplewood Avenue, is much larger and can be used by the community, he said.
Many classes will be held in rooms that have been renovated from floor to ceiling. New furniture was being moved into the rooms this week in preparation for teachers and students.
Wolfe said students who have been in the building during summer walk around “starry-eyed.”
“We’re very grateful to the community,” he said.
Clark said work will continue through the school year in areas that are sealed off from occupied classrooms. The next phase of the project includes renovation of the 1970s wing of the school and Steve White Gym. Future phases include renovation of the C wing, lecture hall, Tiger Gym and cafeteria.
Seniors Alex Lacasse and Michael Hall stopped by the school Tuesday afternoon so Hall could finish registering for classes. They said they were excited to see the new entrance and think their classmates will enjoy going to school in a nicer building.
“I think it’s very nice,” Lacasse said.
Poli said summer work was not contained to the high school. Other projects included the addition of new windows and doors at the Center of Technology. The building also was converted to natural gas. A new hot water heater was installed at Biddeford Primary School and crews at all schools continued to focus on cleaning the buildings, she said.
Students at Biddeford Intermediate School will see improvements in the school library, Poli said. Furniture and shelving from the former high school library was moved to Biddeford Intermediate School.
Biddeford High School will for the first time offer “Freshmen Academy” to 80 incoming students. The pilot program pairs students with a team of four or five teachers for the entire school year. The district plans to next year expand the program to include all incoming freshmen.
Assistant Superintendent Jeff Porter said the program is designed to ease the transition into high school by providing a close connection to teachers and peers. A committee has spent the past year and a half planning the program, which was approved by the school committee.
Porter said the first 80 students in the academy were chosen at random or because teachers thought they would do especially well in a smaller school environment. Teachers will work closely together to plan curriculum and teach students, he said.
“Personalizing learning makes sense, at least during that first year,” Porter said.
The planning committee will collect data such as attendance and grades throughout the year to evaluate the program, Porter said.
Poli said a free summer meal program was “really successful” and will be offered again next year. The program gave free breakfast and lunch to children of all ages throughout summer at Biddeford Primary School. The district will look to expand the program to other sites in the city next summer.
Poli said teachers, administrators and staff look forward to welcoming students back to school next week.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a great school year.”