First renderings released on new K-5 school to be built on Salmon Falls Road

A graphic showing the front of the school (Courtesy photos/Rochester Schools)

ROCHESTER - The Joint Building Committee on Wednesday released schematic drawings of the new 68,000-square-foot K-5 elementary school that will be built on Salmon Falls Road.

The school will house about 420 students and is expected to ease overcrowding at other schools.

Under the proposed design, the first floor will include the library, cafeteria, gymnasium, rooms dedicated to music and art and special education class space. Classrooms will include natural lighting and materials, flexible space, and state-of-the-art technology.

A graphic depicting the school's lobby

The second floor includes a dozen classrooms and additional special education space.

The project will not cross wetlands and will retain buffer zones, according to a press release sent out on Wednesday. Concerns about drainage will be addressed through water retention and mitigation systems at the entrance and near the rear of the property, the release noted.

The school project is expected to cost about $33.6 million. The Rochester City Council voted on Oct. 18 to approve funding of $15.5 million toward the school. The State Department of Education ranked the Rochester project at the top of the funding list in the 2024 cycle and is providing $15.77 million in support.

Project plans will now be forwarded to the City's Technical Review Committee for its independent review. The project design team will complete bidding and construction documents by the end of February, with the goal of soliciting public bids in March.
The Joint Building Committee will meet in April to review cost estimates.

The committee also plans to solicit suggestions for a school name and building mascot, possibly through naming contests.

About the Joint Building Committee
The Joint Building Committee is charged with overseeing the development and construction of a new K-5 Elementary School. School Board Member Sarah Harrington serves as Chair, while City Councilor Donald Hamann serves as Vice Chair. Also serving are Mayor Paul Callaghan, City Councilors Alexander de Geofroy, Tim Fontneau and Kevin Sullivan, and School Board member Matthew Pappas. The School Board Chair will appoint two School Board representatives, as a result of recent elections.

The Committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Its next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 14. The public is invited to attend and participate during the open comment period.

Meetings are recorded and are available on both the School Department website and SAU 54 YouTube channel.