DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 board and all district principals will begin a series of workshops later this month to determine what reorganizational changes could and should take place before the beginning of the next school year.

The decision, made at Monday’s board meeting, is the next step following a day-long workshop held last month that was devoted to devising ideas for the long- and short-term facility goals for the former three individual districts that merged three years ago.

At that workshop, 80 people from the school district, business community and the community participated with a wide variety of ideas voiced.

Superintendent Tom Ward said short-term changes would cover a two- to three-year period, while long-term goals could reach 15 to 20 years.

He said state Department of Education officials will also be invited at a later time to review the region’s school buildings and make recommendations for changes.

He also said that any plans to merge Dirigo, Mountain Valley and Buckfield high schools would be at least a decade away. If that should happen, many want to see construction of a comprehensive high school like that in Oxford Hills or the one now being constructed in RSU 9 in Farmington. The future school would incorporate vocational education with academic education.

“The state isn’t taking applications for new schools or renovations,” he said. “But we should apply.”

One of the most important considerations is the continuing decline in student enrollment.

Right now, just under 2,800 students are enrolled in the three regions’ schools, a reduction of nearly 300 students since the three former SADs merged.

Another consideration is paying for all 10 of the current schools, and the socio-economic impact on the people living in the region.

One option, Ward said, is to follow the model of the Buckfield area which has two schools — one for grades 7-12 and the other for grades pre-K to 6 — for the Mountain Valley and Dirigo regions.

Board member Betty Barrett said RSU 10 must look at the economics of the student population.

“These buildings will be half full. We must concentrate on how to make the best use of our buildings,” she said.

But other options and ideas are sure to surface as the board and principals meet, and the state takes a look and makes recommendations.

The first workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 25.

 

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