DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 board voted unanimously Monday night to place the same weight on all grades earned by high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement and college credit, accelerated, advanced or honors classes.

Previously, the weighted grade for such courses may have differed among the three high schools in Rumford, Dixfield and Buckfield. Weighted grades are used for the sole purpose of calculating grade point average to determine class rank.

As approved, Advanced Placement and college credit courses will be valued at 1.1. Accelerated, advanced or honors will be weighted at 1.05.

Superintendent Tom Ward said the major reason for weighting higher level classes is to encourage students to enroll in the most rigorous courses.

Buckfield representative Maida Demers-Dobson wants the administration to look at sports where the numbers are low, such as lacrosse, and consider combining students from the different schools into such teams.

“Eventually there will be one high school. We could take these small steps,” she said.

Currently, Dirigo High School, Buckfield Junior-Senior High School and Mountain Valley High School in Rumford generally have their own teams.

Ward plans to meet with the district’s athletic directors to discuss the possibilities and report to the board in September.

In other matters, the board approved a 2010-11 contract with the six nutrition employees from the Buckfield region. The goal is to eventually bring the salary and benefits together for nutrition workers in all three regions of the school district.

He said the Buckfield agreement calls for paying the employees a total of $6,000 for the past year. New contract negotiations will begin soon.

The board also began a discussion on the possibility of appointing one or more high school students to seats on the school board.

Policy Committee Chairwoman Barbara Chow said a rough draft of a policy on the matter will likely come before the board next month.

Preliminary discussions Monday included appointing one student from each high school who would take turns attending board meetings, to appointing just one student to represent all three high schools.

Ward said student representatives would act as resources, and would not be allowed to vote or attend executive sessions.