Thornton Academy breaks ground on field house
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TA faculty representatives Lori Smith and Christopher Kohl, Board member Mark Willett, Headmaster Rene Menard, Board Chair Eric Purvis, and Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail. COURTESY PHOTO
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Thornton Academy staff and community leaders gathered on the school’s campus to celebrate the groundbreaking of the school’s new field house on Aug. 29.
When completed, the 48,851-square-foot facility will host physical education classes, sporting events, and school assemblies, while also providing a place for the school's Wellness Department to grow its programming.
The field house will replace the school’s Linnell Gymnasium, which was built in 1963. Thornton’s population has more than doubled since then, creating the need for a larger facility.
“The total cost of this exciting project is $13.5 million and is being funded entirely by donors who have generously given to our capital campaign and prudent management of other resources available to us,” Thornton Board Chairman Eric Purvis told the gathering. “No public funds have been used for this project, and we expect to complete this project without incurring any debt.”
Work on the project was scheduled to begin in the upcoming weeks following the celebration.
Thornton Academy is located at 438 Main St., Saco and was founded in 1811. The private high school and middle school serves publicly funded local students and privately funded students from Maine and around the globe.
Story courtesy of Thornton Academy