The Biddeford School Department celebrated the completion of the Biddeford Primary School (BPS) expansion today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by students, staff, families, local officials, project partners, and community members. The completed addition creates a unified early-learning campus where Biddeford students can begin their educational journey and remain together from PreK through Grade 2.
The climate-controlled addition includes 16 modern classrooms and learning spaces designed specifically for young children, provides room for Head Start, and allows for the potential to expand PreK opportunities in the future. It also features an outdoor classroom and a distinctive “Tiger Tail” slide, where Biddeford’s smallest Tigers can celebrate earning their stripes.
“This project is about much more than additional classrooms; it is about creating stability, belonging, and opportunity for our youngest learners,” said Jeremy Ray, Superintendent of Schools. “For the first time, we can bring our PreK through Grade 2 students together on one early-learning campus, where they can build relationships and grow together during these important foundational years. This project represents the balance of honoring our history while planning responsibly for the future, and the return on this community’s investment will be seen in generations of Biddeford children who begin their educational journeys here.”
The $9 million expansion was approved by Biddeford voters as a long-term alternative to renovating the aging John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial School. A 2022 facilities assessment determined that renovating JFK would be significantly more costly than constructing new space at BPS. The expansion was estimated to save taxpayers as much as $16 million compared with renovating the more than 70-year-old building.
JFK closed in June 2025 after decades of service to Biddeford families. During the final phase of construction, the district temporarily located its PreK program at Biddeford Intermediate School. The completion of the new wing now fulfills the district’s long-term vision of bringing all PreK through Grade 2 students together at BPS, reducing school transitions during children’s earliest educational years.
The expansion preserves an important piece of Biddeford’s educational history. The original scoreboard from John F. Kennedy Memorial School has been relocated to the new addition, where it has been restored to working order. The scoreboard offers a visible connection between the generations of children who attended JFK and those beginning their school journeys at the new PreK-2 campus.
“The excitement in this new space is something you can see and feel every day,” said Meghan Turner, Principal of Biddeford Primary School. “Our students are eager to explore, learn, and make these classrooms their own, while our staff has been energized by the opportunities the new environment creates. There is a wonderful sense of possibility throughout the building, and we are thrilled to see our youngest Tigers beginning their school journeys together in a space designed especially for them.”
The expansion was designed by Mobile Studio Design and Haley Ward, Inc. with construction by Great Falls Construction. Ground was officially broken on September 20, 2024, during a student-centered ceremony that included performances of “This Land Is Your Land” and the BPS Tiger Cub song.
During today’s ceremony, Superintendent Jeremy Ray, Biddeford Primary School Principal Meghan Turner, City of Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain, and Great Falls Construction Project Manager Zachary Waters offered remarks before the ceremonial ribbon was cut. BPS second-grader Max Huff garnered some laughs as he spoke of the best features in the new addition and students sang the BPS Tiger Cub Song and “Welcome to Our School.” Following the ceremony, a group of second-grade students led tours of the new addition, including completed classrooms, early-learning spaces, the Tiger Tail slide, and the JFK scoreboard.
“Major investments like this extend across administrations and generations, and today is a powerful example of how thoughtful decisions made years ago can create opportunities for the children who follow,” said Mayor Liam LaFountain. “Biddeford voters and taxpayers chose to prioritize education while supporting a fiscally responsible path for our City’s future. Some of the children standing here today may one day return as graduating seniors, educators, community leaders—or even a future Mayor—and they will be able to look back at this school and know their city believed in them from the very start.”
The expansion reflects years of facilities planning, public discussion, and community support. More than simply adding space, the project establishes a permanent early-learning campus where children can begin their Biddeford Schools education, grow together, and build the skills and connections they will carry into the years ahead.
Photo credit: Maureen Grandmaison Photography
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