POLAND — Selectmen agreed Tuesday night to recommend a $5.7 million addition to the Bruce M. Whittier Middle School on Route 26.

John Hawley, director of operations for Regional School Unit 16 and head of the committee for the project, presented the plan with principal architect Alan Kuniholm.

The addition would include six classrooms and two science rooms to replace the three modular units. It would also add a new school entrance, separate from the high school.

According to Hawley, this would substantially cut back on one of the school’s biggest concerns, the crossover between middle and high school students in the halls.

“When you do an addition, it’s always a chance to update, increase security and minimize overlap between the students,” Kuniholm said.

For the original proposal, Hawley said they “listed all the needs and wants and whittled that down to what we thought would be viable. That came in at $8.5 million, which was voted down.”

He said there will be no state funding, so taxpayers in Poland, Minot, and Mechanic Falls would foot the bill.

“So the committee went back to the drawing board and put a list together of the essentials,” Hawley said. “The primary goal is to get classrooms in the secure building,” he said.

The cost included everything, according to Kuniholm, including construction, equipment and furnishings.

Selectperson Mary-Beth Taylor said she would like to see a complete breakdown of the costs.

The only cost not included is the interest on a proposed 20-year bond, but the project committee estimated that with interest the cost would break down to $360,000 a year, split among the three towns.

Eldridge William, a citizen representative on the project committee, said he would still vote for the $8.5 million plan. “I still feel strongly about it. I’m a believer in the original plan. But this compromise is the minimum I would recommend,” he said.

Selectman will recommend the plan to the RSU 16 board at its Aug. 28 meeting. If approved by the school board, it will go to public vote.