BATH — The administrative offices of Regional School Unit 1 were scheduled this week to move out of the Huse School on Andrews Road and into the nearby Small School in order to make way for students of the soon-to-be-reconstructed Woolwich Central School.

RSU 1 Superintendent William Shuttleworth said last week that the state has confirmed its funding for the $18.9 million school. RSU 1 is contributing up to $660,000.

Shuttleworth said the project will go out to bid early next month. A general contractor will be chosen by the end of May and demolition of part of the existing school will begin in July. The new facility should be open for classes in September 2012.

During construction of the new school approximately 300 kindergarten- to eighth-grade Woolwich students will be housed in the Huse School and several modules.

“One of the major things that the community wanted was to have the kids on the same campus during this time,” Shuttleworth said. “And think of how lucky we are to have a building that could accommodate them all.”

The current 32,000-square-foot school was built more than 50 years ago. Later additions containing classroom space will be preserved to house administrative offices, and the existing gym will be expanded, to be incorporated into the new, approximately 66,000-square-foot structure.

RSU 1 voters approved the new school at referendum in March 2009 by a vote of 984-218.

Alex Lear can be reached at 373-9060 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net.

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