BETHEL — A 16-person Facilities Review Committee was established at Monday’s RSU 44 board meeting to review all school buildings and to make recommendations for the future.
Superintendent David Murphy said, via e-mail, that the committee, comprising selectmen and community members from each district town, and the district’s Facilities Committee, will likely hold its first meeting the first part of October.
Committee meetings are generally open to the public.
The committee will make a final report and nonbinding recommendations to the Regional School Unit 44 board by April 15, 2010.
Among the buildings to be studied are the Telstar Middle/High School complex in Bethel, the former Ethel Bisbee School that now serves as the superintendent’s office in Bethel, Andover Elementary School, Woodstock Elementary School and Crescent Park Elementary School in Bethel. Two of the smaller elementary schools have been experiencing a decline in pupil enrollment in recent years.
Appointed to the committee are: Selectmen Keith Farrington of Andover, Dennis Doyon of Bethel, Amy Chapman of Greenwood, Steve Wight of Newry and Ron Deegan of Woodstock; community representatives Charlie Newall of Greenwood and Virgil Conkright of Newry; district Facilities Committee members Tim Akers of Andover, Lainey Cross of Bethel, Erin Collins of Greenwood, Bill Brown of Newry and Sheryl Morgan of Woodstock. Openings for community representatives are available for Bethel, Woodstock and Andover. School board Chairman Sidney Pew will also sit on the committee.
In other matters at Monday’s meeting:
• A public hearing on a November referendum question asking residents whether they want to approve construction of a second gymnasium and a theater at Telstar Middle/High School was set for 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Telstar Middle/High School in Bethel.
• Breakfast and lunch prices were approved. They are: breakfast, K-12, $1; lunch K-5, $2; and lunch 6-12, $2.25.
• Telstar High School will host exchange students from Brazil and Thailand for the 2009-10 school year.
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