DIXFIELD – SAD 21 Superintendent Tom Ward on Monday night set a meeting with board Chairman Ben McCollister, a town manager and selectmen from the district’s four member towns for 6 p.m. today at Dirigo High School to provide an update on the state’s school administration consolidation law and how it could affect the district.

The board also unanimously readmitted a Dirigo Middle School boy following an hour-long closed-door session.

The middle school youngster was expelled last May after an accumulation of incidents. Ward declined to elaborate on the nature of the violations.

He said readmission is based on a behavior plan and continued counseling, which will be monitored.

The special meeting of the selectmen from Peru, Carthage, Dixfield and Canton, along with Dixfield Town Manager Tom Richmond, will be the first on potential consolidation partners.

SAD 21 filed a letter of intent with the state’s Department of Education at the end of August listing neighboring SAD 43 in Rumford, SAD 44 in Bethel and Union 37 in Rangeley as potential partners. At least two of the proposed districts have held joint meetings with their respective municipal officials.

As the state formula stands now, almost any district that partners with SAD 21 would see their own school taxes increase because of the low valuation of the SAD 21 member towns.

“We’ll update selectmen on how SAD 21’s valuation could affect (neighboring) towns. And if SAD 21 doesn’t partner, it will cost the member towns more,” Ward said. “We’ll update selectmen on what may happen.”

Although the meeting of municipal officials is with Ward and McCollister, other SAD 21 board members may also attend.

“This is informational. Just to keep people informed,” Ward said.

In another matter, Ward said Tuesday that although the offer from SAD 43 to allow fourth-year Spanish language students from Dirigo High School to attend classes at Mountain Valley High School was much appreciated, SAD 21 at the last minute found a teacher capable of instructing both third- and fourth-year Spanish classes.

Cheryl Gallant, a retired Spanish teacher from MVHS, will serve as a long-term substitute for the two classes. Another long-term substitute, John Glaus, will teach first- and second-year Spanish. Ward said the district will continue to advertise for a full-time Spanish teacher.

Also on Monday, Ward said each district school will be required to develop an action plan to address bullying issues. The theme for this school year is bullying. Strategies are being developed to make an anti-bullying program successful, he said.