SALEM TOWNSHIP — School board directors are faced with a costly list of maintenance and building code upgrades to the 42-year-old Mt. Abram High School, even as fewer and fewer students sit in its classrooms each year.

Craig Boone and James Pelsor, from Augusta-based Bunker and Savage design firm, reviewed a 19-page study totaling a possible $4 million in repairs, changes and improvements.

In 1968, fire, safety and handicapped-access requirements were less stringent, but today’s rules have changed, Boone said. Energy costs could be cut by sealing cracks around doors and windows, but insulating the building would be more expensive. He offered some encouraging news, noting grant money is available for energy savings, and the school would see a payback for dollars spent keeping heat in and cold out.

“Your best investment is within your envelope,” he said. “That includes windows, insulating exterior walls, and getting insulated doors.”

Fire codes are especially strict, and all schools must comply. Safe exits from the classrooms and building are critical.

“We did a building codes study within the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 2009, which includes plumbing and sprinkler systems in the building,” Boone said. “For example, corridor exit doors and frames are required to be Underwriters Laboratory-rated for one hour with a sprinkler system.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the high school’s door handles and faucets to be handicapped-accessible. Boone listed 92 doors requiring replacement lever-type lock sets. At approximately $356 each, directors could expect a bill for nearly $38,000.

With those options, the district could may decide to close the school.

Alternatively, they could move other grades into the building.

“We could consider having the high school students move to Strong Elementary School and move kindergarten through eighth grades to Mt. Abram,” Superintendent Quynn Clark said. “We also could move seventh- and eighth-graders in with the high school.”

The renovation budget will be tied to the use of the building, he noted, and Stratton Elementary School will not be part of the mix, as they have a newer building with adequate space. Directors will continue the discussion of options at future meetings.

In other news, the board accepted Cross Insurance’s bid for the district’s commercial policy. The Bangor-based company has 11 Maine offices, but directors expressed concern about leaving its current provider, Kyes Insurance of Farmington, even though they bid higher rates for the same policy.

“We have to think about staying local, or we won’t have any local left,” director Ann Schwink said.

Directors reported on consolidation talks with SAD 74, which serves Anson, Embden, Solon, New Portland and North Anson.

“I was very pleased with the way things went,” Director Judy Dill said. “We have a number of services and classroom programs that we can share. For example, they offer German and we offer Spanish, which will benefit our students.”

Neither district voted to consolidate, but neither had enough students to qualify as standalone districts.

“If we did consolidate, we would share classroom teachers by video conferencing, rather than moving students between schools,” Clark explained.

“We’ll consider sharing food service and bus maintenance, because both districts can save money.”