DIXFIELD — The Western Foothills School District board Monday night
approved a trip to Europe in 2011 for high school students, who must pay their way.

The trip is open to students at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford,
Dirigo High School in Dixfield and Buckfield high school.

Dirigo teacher Abigail Wood outlined the 11-day trip that includes
World War II sites in England, France and Germany. The early request
was made to give students and chaperons a chance to raise money to cover their costs. For students it’s about $2,800 per person; for adults, about $3,300.

The board also approved a districtwide computer laptop insurance fee.
Families must pay $35 per year, with a family cap of $60. 

Admission fees for football games districtwide were also adopted. Adults will pay
$4; students $2; and senior citizens and RSU 10 employees get in free. A
family will pay a maximum of $10.

Although admission is not charged for any other fall sport, donations may be accepted at soccer matches.

Superintendent Tom Ward said enrollment on opening day was just
under 3,000 students, slightly more than the combined enrollment at the
end of the last school year, and more than expected.

He said much of the higher enrollment number is attributed to new
prekindergarten programs in the Dirigo and Mountain Valley regions,
which brought in about 60 4-year-olds. Statewide, including the three
former school districts, schools are experiencing an overall decline in
enrollment.

In other matters, the board:

• Approved the lease/purchase of two new school buses at a total cost of $148,200 financed at 3 percent for three years.

• Approved the first reading of a tobacco use and possession policy
that calls for a minimum of three days suspension for violations. However,
the school principals will have some discretion on whether to suspend a
student for the full amount of time, or allow the student to serve some
of the suspension in school.

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