FARMINGTON — Schools in the Mt. Blue Regional School District could open a week later than planned due to a construction delay at Mt. Blue High School.

By a unanimous vote, school board members Tuesday agreed to allow Superintendent Michael Cormier to decide by Friday whether the school will be ready for students by Sept. 1. If not, opening day would be moved to Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The change would be system-wide and would mean classes in all schools will extend a week later in June. It would not affect graduation day or vacation days.

The announcement will be made public Friday on the district’s website, http://www.mtbluersd.org/

“I have grave concerns about the high school being ready for kids. The (contractors) were on an incredibly tight schedule to begin with, and even if everything had gone according to plan, it would have been tight,” he said before the meeting..

Construction on the $64 million renovation and expansion started in 2010 but there have been setbacks, he said.

Problems started when the contractor, Wright-Ryan Construction Inc., discovered the building did not follow the plans they had on paper, which meant progress slowed and even had to be halted.

In addition, there were days in the winter that were too icy to work and in June, it was excess rain, he said.

Classes will continue to be held in the main, three-story wing that will be renovated next year and in 21 portable classrooms. These are set up on an isolated part of the property that will eventually be used as tennis courts.

Right now, the portables have no furniture or electricity, which means teachers have been unable to set up their rooms. Power is expected to be hooked up by Monday, said David Leavitt, director support staff services, who is at the work site daily.

“The building is completely surrounded by construction,” Cormier said.

Among the ongoing work is the drilling of 77 wells on the front of the property for the geo-thermal heating and cooling system. If that is not completed by the time school starts, Cormier said the contractor has agreed to delay work until after school hours.

In the school, the corridor that connected Mt. Blue and Foster Tech has been demolished, as has been the gym. Since the new gym will not be ready until later this year, other outlets will be used for physical education classes.

At the Foster Career & Technology Center, one wing is nearly ready for students but the concrete floors have not cured. That will delay installation of floor tiles until school vacations, Cormier said.

The parking area and entrance road will be paved with a base coat and will be ready to use.

Mt. Blue Principal Monique Poulin said the staff is working very hard to make sure the school is welcoming and safe.

“There is nothing to be nervous about but we need to have things in place,” she said. “We are doing the best we can.”

Glenn Kapiloff, Foster Tech’s director, said that despite the chaos, students will be coming into the finished classrooms in that wing and experiencing a new school.

“It will be new and improved and will be an excellent educational facility,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, the board agreed to shorten the name of the Mt. Blue Learning Campus to the Mt. Blue Campus. The new facility will encompass Mt. Blue High School, Foster Career & Technical Education Center, adult education, and the Franklin County Community College Network.

Kapiloff said the plan is that early childhood, composite manufacturing, business education, and biotechnology programs will be held at the new campus.

Programs that will start out in the temporary Annex on High Street but will relocate back to the Mt. Blue Campus are forestry and wood harvesting, metal fabrication, building construction, culinary arts and employability skills.

Programs at the Annex that will remain there for the school year are automotive technology, certified nursing assistant, digital media, commercial arts and photography, and computer technology.

Off-site locations offer firefighting at the Farmington Fire Station, agriculture technology (location to be announced), plumbing technology at Jay High School, and emergency medical technician at Franklin Memorial Hospital, 2nd semester only.

The three-year plan involves renovating nearly 89,000 square feet at the existing school and adding another 139,000 square feet of new construction. More than 90 percent of the cost of the new school will be paid for by the Maine Department of Education through a state bond that was approved by voters several years ago.