MEXICO – Region 9 may have a new six-room addition at the vocational school by this time next year.

The announcement came as Director Deborah Guimont attended her last board meeting Tuesday night, and interim Director Harvey Hayden attended his first.

Hayden, a retired educational administrator from Farmington who will fill in part time until a new director is hired, said he was notified last week that an application submitted by Guimont for a million-dollar-plus building project was preliminarily approved by the state’s Department of Education.

Hayden, said too, that the DOE has recommended that Region 9 combine another capital project for which Guimont has applied, known as Phase I for its inclusion in the state’s revolving loan program, with the classroom addition application.

The Phase I application calls for roof replacement, installation of an elevator, construction of walls between the metal trades and building trades programs, and several smaller construction tasks, at a estimated cost of $300,000.

Conducting both projects at the same time is expected to save the region at least $20,000, Hayden said.

To get the project going, the Region 9 board approved spending up to $18,000 for architectural and engineering work for Phase I of the project by Bethanis and Hayford of Gardiner. That report should be completed prior to the Sept. 21 board meeting.

Hayden said once final approval is received from the state, costs for architectural design and engineering for the planned addition will be included in the building project figure.

In the meantime, necessary work to repair the roof will likely take place sometime in the fall. Board Chairman Norman Clanton said the region budgeted for the repairs.

Also, steps must be taken to acquire a portion of the adjacent property where the part of the addition would be.

Both Phase I and Phase III projects must be approved by voters from the Region 9 area. A referendum vote will likely be called in February. If passed, contractors would begin work when school lets out in June.

Hayden said the costs for the projects would likely be split 70/30, with the state paying for the lesser amount. The remaining funding would be financed over 10 years.

The new addition would house a couple of new vocational programs, such as culinary arts, and the diversified occupations program.

Guimont resigned to accept a similar position with the Sanford Vocational Center.