MINOT – The School Committee on Tuesday night gave a green light to the superintendent’s office to apply for a modular classroom addition at the Minot Consolidated School.

“With the state paying 80 cents for every 20 cents we put up, is that a good deal or what!” exclaimed resident Harold Bridgham.

Bridgham was one of several in the standing-room-only audience who spoke passionately in favor of resurrecting at least this portion of major redevelopment plans for the school that failed to gain townwide support a year ago.

A proposal, which calls for a 7,800-square-foot modular addition to be placed to the rear of the school existing gymnasium/multipurpose room, received strong support at a special town meeting vote last November. The School Committee’s concept plan for alleviating school overcrowding passed 601-361.

Funding for the modular addition was denied at the regular town meeting in March. At the time, it was estimated the addition would have cost the town a little more than $22,000 a year for 10 years. Assistant Superintendent Bill Doughty said costs now would probably be about 5 percent higher.

A proposed modular addition would contain four classrooms and space for a library.

Brigham noted that the modular addition fails to address the full range of the school’s identified needs – adequate space for music, drama and art programs as well as a full-sized gymnasium. Bridgham said he would be willing to work with anyone who wanted to put the of development plans rejected a year ago back on the agenda for March town meeting.

Acting as an emissary for the selectmen, Dean Campbell suggested to the School Committee that a panel be formed to oversee the development of a sports field and community recreation complex on the 73 acres next to the school the town purchased about a year ago.

Principal Don Bilodeau told Campbell that members of the Community Club have expressed interest in seeking grants to assist in the development of the land and they would like to meet with selectmen.

Superintendent Nina Schlikin said she was quite pleased with recent meetings she has had with the Board of Selectmen and she took the opportunity to publicly thank Campbell and Selectman Steve French who gathered other community volunteers recently to burn the brush pile in the school yard. The brush, left from a logging operation on the newly purchased land next to the school, had been a vexing source of criticism.

A group of a half dozen eighth-graders detailed a development of the Minot School Cook Book, a project they began last year to celebrate the 50 years the Minot Consolidated School has been in operation. Profits from book sales will benefit their class trip to Boston and to scholarship funds.

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