SACO — A referendum vote for new school construction has been delayed until next year to give time for approval of a traffic permit.

Oak Point Associates is working with the Saco School Department on a proposal to create two new school buildings at 891 Portland Road (Route One). The suggested plan is comprised of a first through fifth grade building that would be paid for by the state and a Pre-K and kindergarten building that would be locally funded.

Before construction can start, a plan needs to be approved by the state, and then by local voters at a city-wide referendum. Although school officials had hoped to get a referendum question on the November ballot, it’s going to have to wait until next year. Superintendent Jeremy Ray said at Tuesday night’s School Board meeting that the school department can’t yet submit a plan to the state because a traffic permit has not been authorized.

Rob Tillotson, president of Oak Point Associates, said the traffic permitting process has been a very time-consuming process, and Oak Point has been working with Department of Education and the Department of Transportation, as well as Ray.

“We’ve all been working very hard,” he said.

Jonah DeWaters, civil engineer with Oak Point Associates, the most major offsite consideration for the traffic permit is making sure the intersection of Route One and Millbrook Road can accommodate changes in traffic from the proposed schools.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].