MEXICO — A five-year routine review of the Region 9 School of Applied Technology by the Maine Department of Education revealed improvement in the quality of the school building and a need to write various student and staff policies.

There were a variety of other assessments made during the team visit earlier this month.

Region 9 Director Brenda Gammon said a written report won’t be issued to the school for at least 10 weeks.

The three-day visit by eight Department of Education members included talks with students, staff and administration, she said.

When the review team last visited the school in 2005, a significant number of issues surrounded the River Road school building. Since then, the region has replaced the roof, and added to and renovated the building, including handicapped accessibility, and other positive changes.

Official recommendations and commendations will likely be ready for the Region 9 board’s review sometime in early spring.

Gammon said verbal assessments made during the visit included the students’ belief that they were connected in a positive atmosphere where students came first.

She said some students wanted more vocational choices, a matter she said is being addressed, in part, by the startup of a new program in fall 2011 for firefighter I and II training.

She said the review team also recommended that procedures and policies, such as those that govern fire drill procedures, be clearly recorded. The review committee also recommended that staff members develop a plan for their growth, and that the region devise a series of short- and long-term goals.

“They want us to look into the future and how Region 9 would fit into the region,” Gammon said.

She said the visit costs virtually nothing. In return, however, some staff members must agree to visit other vocational schools to help conduct reviews.

[email protected]