FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors met Tuesday evening at Mt. Blue Middle School to dedicate the newly constructed athletic fields.

Teacher Gary Oswald thanked businesses for their economic contributions and paid special tribute to Kevin Vining and his family for “hundreds of hours work, all out of sheer generosity.”

The field hockey area was also rededicated in the name of Stella McLean, whose late husband landscaped the previous field in 1958. The dedication was capped off by the presentation of two signs, one in honor of the Vining family and the other in honor of the McLean family.

The committee also unanimously approved the nomination of Stephanie Ward to become a part-time teacher of the deaf. She received a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education and special education from UMF and a master’s degree in special education from the University of Southern Maine. She also has 21 years experience working at Pettingill Elementary School in Lewiston.

The proposed Exchange City field trip to Portsmouth, N.H., next May was approved. Students will go there to run 14 different businesses using skills they have acquired in class. Fourteen volunteers from the business sector will accompany the class. The trip costs $2,000, which concerned some board members, but Superintendent Michael Cormier asserted that the money will not come from the district. Funding has come from past student fundraising, prior grants and local businesses that support Exchange City as an excellent resource, Cormier said.

There was also discussion about school construction projects. Both Mt. Blue High School and the W.G. Mallett School will need either renovations or reconstruction depending on what the state determines. Cormier speculated that the high school renovation should not be as significant as the Mallett School renovation or reconstruction, but he feels both projects should be undertaken simultaneously.

The Mallett School was constructed in 1931, has horsehair plaster walls, is not handicapped accessible and has asbestos in it.

While the building is beautiful and historic, as one board member pointed out, it is not equipped to provide a modern education.

Cormier called for the formation of building committees for the high school and Mallett School to produce a site application, hire an architect to draft preliminary plans and produce a building plan. The committees will not search for grant money until 2007, possibly 2008.

Providing resources and funding for two projects is a major commitment. Cormier asserted that the expenses for preliminary designs and plans will need to be incorporated into the district’s budget; however, upon approval of state or federal grant money, those initial costs will be reimbursed.

Board members also discussed the proposed Taxpayers Bill of Rights and how it could potentially impact the school district’s funding. The bill, which is on the state’s Nov. 7 ballot, aims to limit government spending and taxation. Under the bill, the change in a school district’s annual budget would be proportional to adjustments in inflation rate and student enrollment.

Cormier urged directors to attend a breakfast sponsored by the Western Maine Caucus at the University of Maine at Farmington’s North Dining Hall on Sept 29. Guest speakers from both the Maine Heritage Foundation and the Maine Policy Institute will discuss the bill and its potential impact on local government.

The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington.