Maine has several state subsidized school construction projects underway. One of them, the Edward Little High School in Auburn, is in danger of not finishing on time due to unpaid cost overruns that are forcing contractors to stop work.
Auburn school officials say the Department of Education sends a representative to building committee meetings and was aware of the cost increases months ago. But Superintendent Dr. Connie Brown said three meetings with state education officials have yielded no solution about how the $4 million dollars in overages will be paid.
"When you look at the $4 million in round numbers....480,000 is the local share and the balance of that is the state's commitment to the project," Brown said.
Auburn school officials have proposed several solutions to the DOE but have yet to hear from the state. She said the state promised to cover 88% of the project cost, originally estimated at $122 million dollars. A DOE spokesman Wednesday said, "This is a challenging and unique situation. The DOE continues to work with the parties involved and explore options to move forward."
