BIDDEFORD — Biddeford voters will soon be asked to decide the fate of a school referendum bond question that will authorize spending $9 million for improvements at the Biddeford Primary School and allow the closure of the John F. Kennedy Memorial School on West Street.

According to School Superintendent Jeremy Ray, if the referendum is approved, taxpayers will likely save a significant amount of money over the next several years.

The JFK School was built in 1965 and needs several major improvements in order to meet code and occupancy requirements. The cost of those necessary repairs could range between $18 million and $25 million, Ray said.

The School Committee has been examining the feasibility of keeping the JFK school open for the last several years and an evaluation of the school’s needed repairs was completed nearly three years ago by Oak Point Associates, an engineering firm with offices in Biddeford and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

“We’re at a critical point right now,” Ray said. “And we have several opportunities to save some serious money, improve efficiencies and give our youngest students a better, more stable academic experience.”

According to Ray, the city also has access to an additional $2.5 million in federal funds that will expire next year if not used. Furthermore, Ray said, the city will experience almost immediate savings of roughly $300,000 annually from reduced staffing needs, utility costs and maintenance costs such as snow removal.

The plan to close the JFK School would involve building an addition to the Biddeford Primary School. The JFK School currently serves Kindergarten and pre-Kindergarten students and has a current enrollment of approximately 300 students.

The Biddeford Primary School, built in 1990, is roughly 70,000-square-feet and houses approximately 365 first and second-grade students. The proposed addition to the Primary School would include a building of roughly 21,000 square feet.

According to Ray, the 20-year bond payments on the Biddeford Middle School building will end next year. “We’re in a very good position right now to save money and help our kids, Ray said, pointing out that very young students of 5 and 6 years of age will no longer have to transition to an entirely new building when they begin first grade.

“There are a lot of advantages here,” Ray said. “I know many people have a somewhat emotional attachment to the JFK School, but we simply cannot ignore the problems of keeping that facility open.”

Both mayoral candidates, Susan Deschambault and Marty Grohman, said they are in favor of the bond question and hope it is approved by voters on Election Day.

“It really represents a fantastic opportunity for the city,” Deschambault said. “We will save money, and give our youngest students the opportunity to stay together in the same building.”

Grohman said the new plan, if approved, will allow the creation of an “all-day” Pre-Kindergarten program. “I believe there is a wide-spread support for an all-day Pre-K program,” he said. “I certainly hope voters approve the question.”

Randy Seaver can be contacted at randy@randyseaver.com.