RUMFORD – A field next to Mountain Valley High School may become a practice athletic field if the SAD 43 board agrees to several proposals at their Sept. 15 meeting.

During Monday’s board meeting, Brian Gagnon, superintendent of the Rumford Water District, community member Matt Kaubris, and longtime coach, Brian Mills, presented a plan that could result in high school use of the water district’s field.

Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said Wednesday that the school’s football team must practice on the high school lawn right now.

As proposed, the Rumford Parks Commission would maintain the field.

The board would be required to approve removal of a stand of trees between the high school parking lot and the water district property. A contractor has agreed to remove the trees and keep them as payment. Hodgkin said the water district has also worked out a tentative arrangement with a local contractor to remove the loam from a 200- by 200-foot section of the proposed field in return for developing the field.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board approved creation of a new subcommittee known as the Student Program Committee. Hodgkin said four to six board members would serve on the committee that will deal with student achievement, educational programs and student assessment.

In other matters, Hodgkin said the public hearing for his district on the proposed administrative consolidation of SADs 43, 21 and 39, and the unaffiliated town of Hanover has been set for Oct. 23. The three other potential partners will also set individual public hearings for sometime in October.

Residents of each district and Hanover will vote on the proposed consolidation Nov. 4.