FARMINGTON – Although the design for a renovated and expanded Mt. Blue High School is still in the preliminary phase, SAD 9 Superintendent Michael Cormier likes what he sees, so far.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said at Tuesday’s Board of Directors meeting. “It’s really exciting.”

Cormier and the board reviewed several changes from the previous draft of the floor plan. A food court has replaced the traditional cafeteria, and one of the wings will be two stories high instead of three, allowing a third story to be added if the school needs it.

“I think we’re finally getting to a place where it’s more concrete,” Cormier said. “It’s taking into account the suggestions from (building) committee members and staff.”

One of those suggestions was to realign the basketball court so it points in the opposite direction from where it is now. “There are concerns with our basketball court as far as it being too close to the walls,” Cormier said.

He added that the overall concept for the renovation and addition allows for new programs and activities to be added and integration of projects. It also is designed more in the manner of a college than a typical high school, with faculty not being assigned to set classrooms and each instructor having their own office space.

The building committee meets again on Feb. 3.

Mt. Blue Middle School Principal Gary Oswald presented the 2007-08 MBMS school report card showing how students did on Maine Educational Assessment tests compared to Maine averages. He pointed out that the school’s goal was to be at or above state averages in all subjects, and that students didn’t meet the average state scores in all categories.

“There are some gains going on even though we didn’t meet the goals we set for ourselves as a school,” he added.

“Test scores are one thing,” Director Jo Josephson said. “Do they reflect what a child really knows?”

Oswald noted that this wasn’t necessarily the case, but the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires the standardized measurements.

“Some of it was the timing of the tests,” he said, adding that some teachers perhaps hadn’t had a chance to review some of the material on the exams with students before the test. “We haven’t looked that deeply into it.”

The board unanimously approved the certification of the vote on the W. G. Mallett School construction project. A vote was taken on Jan. 22 in SAD 9 towns, with only Weld voting against giving the go-ahead for construction.

Valuations in towns across the district have increased, with only Weld showing a slight decrease. This may have an impact on the state education aid SAD 9 receives, Cormier said.

“I don’t know what will happen, but this is not good news for us if the state stays straight valuation,” he said.