AUBURN — Auburn first- and second-graders will likely go to high school in a new building.

After years of planning, a new Edward Little High School won approval Wednesday for state construction funding by the State Board of Education — 100 percent of the costs of a new high school in Auburn, which could cost $62 to 65 million — but it will be years before construction starts.

The next step is deciding where the school will be built.

The state pays for new school construction based on which communities have the greatest need, as determined by a statewide list. The last time that list was developed was in 2010-11, when Auburn came in at No. 16.

Since then, other projects flagged as higher priority have been approved, but not Sullivan and Auburn, which rank 15th and 16th, respectively.

The state board Wednesday approved a Maine Department of Education recommendation to put the two schools on a “protected list,” which means funding will happen, even if the state develops another list of schools with higher construction needs.

“It passed,” said Peter Geiger of Lewiston, a state board member who chairs the construction committee. “Two new schools were added to the protected list — high schools for Sullivan and Auburn are officially on the protected list. 

It will be years before students walk into a new Edward Little, Geiger said, “but it will be built.”

Geiger recently attended a new school opening in Corinth.

“It was beautiful,” he said. “When we build a school, it’s built well for the kids and the community.”

Auburn Superintendent Katy Grondin was delighted with the board vote.

“We’re so excited to finally get on the approved building list,” Grondin said Wednesday. “This was our third attempt. 

“The community has been waiting for this, parents and families,” she said. “We now have the opportunity to put the wheels in motion to have a new high school.”

Auburn School Committee Chairman Tom Kendall called the approval a once-in-a-generation opportunity “to make a statement about the importance of education to the future success of our students and our community.”

A new high school is significant and can improve the future of Auburn, Kendall said. It can attract young families, improve the real estate market, bolster the business community and breathe new life into an aging community, he said.

“As a community, we should endeavor to do our very best to make the most of this opportunity,” Kendall said.

Details of when the state issues a bond for Auburn’s high school aren’t clear. Grondin also believes it could be five to seven years before the school is built.

“It’s going to be a process,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to do before we break ground.”

She will meet with Maine Department of Education officials later this month to learn more. A report from that meeting will be given to the Auburn School Committee at the Oct. 5 meeting.

One of the first decisions will be where to build the high school. Several years ago, when officials were considering asking taxpayers for pay for a new school with local money, it was decided the existing Harris Street site was too small because there’s not enough room for athletic fields.

“We’ll have to work with the city to see what sites are available,” Grondin said. “We’ll have to weigh each site.” 

To select a site will take involvement from the community, Kendall said.

Any decision to add extras to the new school which won’t be paid for by the state will go before Auburn voters, Kendall said.

Auburn voters will have to approve the project in a local referendum before construction begins.

Earlier this year, State Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, sponsored legislation to ensure that in the event of a new school construction list, approval for Edward Little High School would remain secure.

Auburn school officials have been working on getting a new high school for years, with dozens of citizens volunteering hours serving on new school committees which were formed and disbanded.

After several attempts to get state funding, Auburn school officials in 2013 were planning a referendum to ask Auburn voters to pay for a new high school without state money.

That could have raised taxes by more than $336 a year on a home valued at $150,000 to pay for a $62 million school.

But also in 2013, a New High School Steering Committee was disbanded after getting pushback from taxpayers and after hearing then Maine Education Department Deputy Commissioner Jim Rier counsel Auburn school officials to trust that it would eventually happen.

The high school building has deficiencies. In May 2015, Edward Little got a 10-year accreditation with a continued probation because of the building’s physical shortcomings.

Built in 1961, the school doesn’t have an auditorium and has an inefficient heating system with single-pane windows and poor ventilation. There’s only one science lab. The cafeteria is in what used to be the basement and lacks windows and ventilation.

There are not enough athletic fields or classrooms. Since the building opened, more programs have been mandated. Space for computer skills, English language learners, a social worker, a health center, chorus and art have reduced class space.