DIXFIELD – More than 60 current and former board members, superintendents and administrators of SAD 21, along with several town officials, said goodbye Monday night to the district organization and board.

They then welcomed the board of the new Western Foothills School District, which is comprised of SADs 21, 39 in Buckfield and 43 in Rumford, and the town of Hanover. It begins official operations July 1.

SAD 21 was formed on Dec. 30, 1964, and its board has had the responsibility of educating the children of Dixfield, Canton and Carthage, and from 2004, the children from Peru.

As of midnight June 30, that responsibility will be shifted to the board of Regional School Unit 10, as it’s named by the state.

“Our children needed more diversity,” said SAD 21 Superintendent Tom Ward, who is the new RSU 10 superintendent. “But the main thing was economic stability. Soon after Peru joined SAD 21, people would ask me when we would be merging with SAD 43. When the regionalization idea came down as a mandate, I felt we had to see the good. None of us expected this kind of economic downturn. Regionalization couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Ben McCollister of Canton, the SAD 21 board’s last chairman and from the town that elected the most chairmen in the district’s 45 years, said the early 1960s brought the Sinclair Act, which aimed to improve education through school consolidation, and that model served well through the 20th century and into the 21st century.

“SAD 21 will no longer exist. It will have served its role. We’re turning that responsibility over to five individuals (plus 12 from the other member districts). This is a passing on of responsibility to carry forward. In 1964, three schools took their authority and turned it over to SAD 21. Now, we’re handing it over. Our leg of the run is over,” he said.

Those who had served in the past were also remembered.

Gladys Conant, now deceased, served 49 years on a school board, first on the Dixfield board, then on the SAD 21 board.

She was remembered and a bouquet was presented to her daughter-in-law Jackie Conant of Canton.

Carroll Howes, the superintendent of SAD 21 from 1975-1997 and principal of Dirigo High School for one year, attended the ceremony. Ward said he was an inspiration to him, who had also served as principal of Dirigo High School, left the district for a while, then returned as superintendent six years ago.

“I couldn’t have had a greater mentor. He showed me what it meant to be a SAD family. My main goal now is to bring that SAD 21 family feeling to RSU 10. I believe I can do that,” Ward said.

SAD 39 officials held a similar ceremony last week.

Next Monday, SAD 43 will also remember past board members and administrators.