Groundbreaking ceremony celebrates new Cape Elizabeth middle school

Cape Elizabeth to Kick Off New Middle School with Ground‑Breaking Ceremony

Cape Elizabeth, ME – The town will mark a milestone for its new middle school with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Saturday at noon on the local baseball field. The event, slated for the 2025 school year, will feature a performance by the middle‑school band and remarks from town officials, school board members, teachers and students.

Construction on the V‑shaped facility began in earnest this summer after voters approved an $86.5 million school project in June. The approval came after several attempts to secure funding for a comprehensive overhaul of the middle school and additions to the elementary campus. The primary contractor, Great Falls Construction of Gorham, was awarded the work with a bid of $64.9 million—about $8 million below the projected budget.

Superintendent Chris Record said the new school is designed to serve the town for at least 50 years. “It will meet the town’s needs for at least 50 years,” he told reporters, adding that the building will provide modern educational spaces, safety features and flexible learning environments.

The new structure will sit adjacent to the baseball field, nestled into a hill, and will feature a main office at the front and separate wings that can be closed off in case of emergency. The design also incorporates a “collaborative staircase” – wide steps with benches – that will allow each grade level to work together on a concept in a large, open space. A new cafetorium performance area will accommodate the entire band and is located nearer to the music wing for easier setup.

Construction work has already been underway. “There’s been a lot of moving dirt and blasting granite,” said Record. “We’ll start seeing it come up out of the ground.” The contractor plans to pour the foundation soon, with the building’s exterior expected to rise in the coming months.

The town is still raising funds, in part by selling naming rights to classrooms. The project is expected to be finished by the 2028 school year, providing a modern learning environment for students for decades to come.