Monday’s sleet, rain and ice caused havoc with local schools and the district’s scheduled board meetings.

The Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 cancelled classes in all elementary and high schools.

 A board meeting scheduled for Monday night was postponed until Monday, Feb. 1, when the board will meet at the central office in Dixfield at 6:30 p.m. Among the topics up for discussion will be an update on the federal Physical Education Program grant that has enabled the purchase of thousands of dollars worth of sports equipment such as canoes, skateboards, and skis to district students.

Superintendent Tom Ward will also provide information to the board on the three meetings he has recently held with selectmen from the 11 towns that comprise the district. The topic of the meetings was how to apply carryover funds remaining from when the former SADs 21, 43 and 39 merged on July 1.

Each town is working on a timeline for applying the funds to their respective school bills.

Because the RSU 10 board meeting was canceled from Jan. 25 and was rescheduled to Feb. 1, the special meeting that had been set to begin the budget development project was pushed to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the central office.

The Region 9 School of Applied Technology, which draws students from RSU 10 and RSU 44, was also closed for the day.

At RSU 44, based in Bethel, classes were also canceled along with the board’s meeting that had been set for 7 p.m. at the Woodstock Elementary School. That meeting was rescheduled for Feb. 8.

One issue to be debated is authorizing Superintendent David Murphy to develop a three-year plan. That plan is expected to incorporate the district budget needs, the ongoing reduction in state aid to education, and the possible closures of several district buildings.

An an hoc committee, recently appointed to study all schools and other buildings in the district, is expected to present findings in April. Declining enrollment in two of the schools is among the concerns as the district must reduce its operating budget.

Murphy had said earlier that with higher health insurance premiums, together with reduced aid, every program, staff member and building will be studied during the development of the 2010-11 budget.

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