Rumford high school auditorium officially closed

RUMFORD — Muskie Auditorium in Mountain Valley High School is officially closed because of extensive damage from a leaky roof, Superintendent Craig King said Wednesday.

Carpets and the glue under them have been removed from the auditorium because of concerns about mold and mildew, and results of an air quality test should be available in a few days, he said.

The auditorium has not been used since the leaks developed in January from a buildup of snow and ice on the roof. Contractors are clearing the remaining ice and snow off and an architectural company is studying possible solutions.

Puiia Gymnasium in the school has limited use, with a dozen or so tarps replacing scores of buckets that had been catching water from the leaks.

“This needs major work,” King said. “We need to know what we want to do with this building during the next 20 or 25 years.”

Once that has been decided, which won’t happen until the 2014-15 budget is passed, a bond will be needed to pay for repairs, replacements and renovations.

In other RSU 10 building issues, a committee has nearly completed a study of all schools in the district to help determine their future use. A report will be presented to the board later.

The district includes the towns of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.

The school board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Hartford-Sumner Elementary School.

: The Mountain Valley High School lacrosse team meets in Puiia Gymnasium in Rumford under the protection of a dozen or so tarps. The tarps replace scores of buckets used to catch water leaking from the roof since January.