Please review this important information (below) before applying.
Interested community members and employees who wish to serve on the Building Committee shall submit a written statement expressing their interest addressed to the School Board.
All letters of interest shall be emailed or delivered by Sept 16, c/o Andrea Fuller afuller@capeelizabethschools.org
Cape Elizabeth School Building Committee Charge
Purpose
The Cape Elizabeth School Building Committee is established by the Cape Elizabeth School Board as an advisory body to advise and support the School Board and School Department staff on the design and construction of the new Cape Elizabeth Middle School and the renovations to Pond Cove Elementary School.
The Committee provides the design team with feedback and guidance on all design-related decisions and will make formal recommendations to the School Board regarding financial, contractual, and schedule-related matters. Members should anticipate a multi-year commitment to this work.
Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the Building Committee is to guide the project to successful completion by building substantial consensus on all key issues. Specific responsibilities include:
Review proposed design changes and refinements throughout the project.
Review building products, materials, and systems to be incorporated into the project.
Consider value engineering options as needed to keep the project within budget.
Develop alternate solutions, if necessary, to maintain alignment with budgetary constraints.
Review and approve the work of any subcommittees the Committee may establish.
Refer to the School Board any issues that:
Substantially alter the project’s original scope,
Constitute a major design change, or
Would have a significant impact on the budget, schedule, or bonding process.
Ensure regular communication and transparency with the School Board and the broader community.
Day-to-day project decisions will be made by the Superintendent, with guidance from the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and architect. This structure is intended to ensure timely decisions and avoid schedule delays, especially during construction.
The Chair of the Committee will provide regular updates to the School Board at its monthly meetings.
Committee Composition
The Committee shall consist of up to twelve (12) members as follows:
Two (2) members from the Cape Elizabeth School Board, one serving as Chair and the other as Vice-Chair.
One (1) member from the Cape Elizabeth Town Council (School Board will be voting to add this membership position on 9/9/25)
Three (3) to Five (5) community members with collective expertise in areas such as:
Architecture
Engineering
Construction
Building systems
Education
Accounting
Project management
Four (4) school employees, appointed by the Superintendent.
The Superintendent will serve as a non-voting member of the Committee.
Governance & Operations
The Committee shall operate in accordance with the Maine Open Meeting Law and Public Records Law.
The Committee will operate for the duration of the project and will cease upon conclusion of construction.
The Committee will meet at least once a month for the duration of the project and can schedule additional meetings as needed.
The Committee will invite school and town staff members to participate in the committee meetings as warranted. (School Board will be voting to add this language on 9/9/25)
Official minutes will be recorded for all meetings and deliberations.
The Committee shall comply with all applicable state laws and regulations governing public construction projects in Maine.
Staff support will be coordinated through the Superintendent’s office.
Differences between the recently formed Building Committee & SBAC (previous one)
The newly formed School Building Committee (SBC) will be an advisory committee to the Cape Elizabeth School Board. The primary responsibilities of the SBC will be to monitor, review progress, and advise on the development of the project working with the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and Architects. The SBC will be responsible to provide updates to the School Board on progress, budgets and schedules. Design decisions will not be made by the SBC as the majority of design decisions were made pre-referendum. All day to day decisions will be made by the Superintendent with input and advice from the OPM and Architects.
The SBC does not have approval of funding or expenditure of funds.
The major differences between the SBC and the previous School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) are:
1. As the project was approved by referendum the SBC will not have the authority to modify the approved plan. The previous SBAC was charged with developing a plan for a potential project and making a recommendation to the School Board and Town Council.
2. The new SBC will receive monthly updates on document development, bid strategies and construction activities. The SBAC did review and make recommendations on design options presented by the architects The previous SBAC had no responsibilities during the execution of an approved project. .
3. The new SBC will consult with the OPM on strategies to keep the community informed. The OPM will work with the School Department and the School Board’s Communication sub-committee on how best to keep the community informed. The previous SBAC held community forums and meetings to gauge the communities interest in potential concepts.
4. The new SBC will not be responsible to review any previous project proposals or concepts as the project that was approved included all of the work done by the SBAC in this area.
The previous SBAC was instrumental in developing the project concept and provided recommendations to the Town Council and School Board. The new SBC will assist as an advisory committee in executing the approved plan.
The Cape Elizabeth School Building Advisory Committee was formed in 2023 as an ad-hoc advisory committee to the School Board and Town Council. The primary task of the SBAC was to assist in developing a school building project that aligns with the Department of Education guidelines for major capital school construction projects and make a recommendation to the School Board to propose to Town voters.
THE SBAC Responsibilities included
Advising the School Board and Town Council on a Building Plan and funding strategies.
Developing the project concept for referendum purposes, including setting a budget and target referendum dollar range.
Engaging in public outreach and recommending a target referendum date.
Evaluating previous building needs assessments.
Seeking public input and engaging a consultant for community surveys.
Exploring funding options and making recommendations for the Building Plan.