BETHEL — The SAD 44 board of directors learned this week that the school district has received a major grant that aims to improve instruction, help develop teacher and administrator evaluations and provide other benefits aimed at boosting student performance.

Superintendent David Murphy said the district is one of five state school systems that will share $25 million from the Maine Schools for Excellence Teacher Incentive Fund over five years.

Districts already in the second year of the grant program are Regional School Unit 11, Gardiner; the Millinocket School District; RSU 16 in Mechanic Falls; and RSU 19, Newport. SAD 44 received the grant because the Bangor School Department dropped out.

One of the criteria for consideration for the grant was that each school within a district must have a 50 percent or greater student eligibility for free or reduced lunches.

Murphy said he expects the district to receive about $1 million for school year 2013-14, and likely a similar amount for the following three years.

He said one of the advantages of having these federal Department of Education funds is that it will enable a state mandate to develop an evaluation tool for teachers and administrators without using local funds.

A project director to coordinate the grant will likely be hired later in the summer. Also during the summer, teachers will be trained on details of the grant, with the goal being consistent student outcomes.

The money is being funneled through the Maine Department of Education.

The grant also provides guidelines on improving student culture and a myriad of other positive outcomes.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board was updated on progress made on a $2.5 million air quality and energy project underway at Telstar Middle and High schools. Murphy said 51 percent of the project has been completed. Once classes let out for the school year, which is set for Friday, additional work will be undertaken, such as the installation of air handlers on the building’s roof.

Murphy said the project is expected to be completed by the beginning of the new school year.

The board will likely discuss the possibility of changing the type of fuel used to heat the building, and will investigate whether low-cost loans or grants are available for such a use. Currently, the school burns oil for fuel, but some consideration has been given to switching to wood pellet boilers.

Several high school students, under the guidance of librarian Kelley Fraser, presented a slide show to the board on integrating technology. Murphy said the students have been working with middle school students, focusing on such topics as Internet safety.

Andover board member Keith Smith attended his last meeting this week. He did not run for another term.

At the board’s next meeting, set for July 8, newly elected representative from Andover, Esau Cooper, will take Smith’s seat.