FARMINGTON — As of Tuesday morning, RSU 9 had 2,353 students attending, 30 more than the same time last year, Superintendent Mike Cormier told the school board Tuesday evening.

Cormier attributed the increase to about 30 students coming from Starks, which became a member of the 10-town district this year.

“The student population is holding pretty steady,” Cormier said. “That’s good news for us.”

He updated the board on heating issues at the Mallett School in Farmington. Ceiling fans in one classroom on the second floor did not cool the room down, Cormier said. They are still working on the issue at Mallett School referring to architects who designed the new elementary school that opened last year.

Classrooms on the second floor at the front of the building are getting sun reflecting off a white roof from the first floor of the building. As of Monday, darkening film has been put on all windows facing the front of the building.

In addition, eight window air conditioners have been installed, Cormier said. It is a temporary fix.

He thanked everyone for their patience with the heat issue.

Principal Tracy Williams said people are really grateful for all that has been done to help alleviate the situation.

Director Claire Andrews of Farmington asked Cormier if the district has signed off with the architectural firm that designed the building. She recommended they don’t sign off until the heating problem is remedied.

The Building Committee for the school raised concerns with architects over the white roof during the construction process, Andrews said.

The district has not signed off. There is still a punch list that is being worked on, Cormier said.

Williams said people could sense the temperature difference once a darkening film was placed on the windows to stop the glare.

The state Department of Education paid for the film and the district paid for the air conditioners.

The state would not pay to install air conditioning on the second floor of an elementary school and didn’t want to set a precedent of doing so, Cormier said.

There are also heat issues at Mt. Blue High School. Five classrooms in the new two-story classroom wing do not have operable windows, he said. The windows are set up high because of a roof outside. Architects are working to fix the problem.

Five window air conditioners have been installed in those classrooms, he said. The architectural firm paid for some of the cost.

“We are well vested in window air conditioning units,” Cormier said. “They won’t go to waste when they come out.” There is always a place that they can go, he added.

“It has been a great opening of school,” he said. He commended all staff and administrators for the work that they have done.

He encouraged school board members, if they have not been there, to go up to the Mt. Blue campus to check out the progress of the project.

Foster Career and Technical Education Center Director Glenn Kapiloff said that an exchange student from Ecuador was quite amazed at the building and that all students could attend, regardless of their economic status.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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