MEXICO — Budgets for the Region 9 School of Applied Technology and Adult and Community Education program were unanimously approved by 24 residents Wednesday.

The amounts were $2.13 million and $298,603, respectively. The school budget is nearly $10,000 more that this year. Most of the increase is due to salary increases for the staff.

The school serves about 160 high school students from RSU 10, SAD 44, Gilead and Upton.

At its meeting after the vote, the board talked about holding a workshop to discuss a tentative change in how vocational programs are delivered.

Director Brenda Gammon said the three high schools in RSU 10 are considering a move to a trimester system from the semester schedule. Students from Mountain Valley High School in Rumford and Dirigo High School in Dixfield attend vocational classes at Region 9 while students from Buckfield High School attend vocational education at SAD 17 in Paris.

Telstar Regional High School in Bethel plans to continue with the semester system.

“We need to work hard on how to offer our (vocational) program,” Gammon said.

She said the Region 9 staff is also waiting to learn how such a change would affect the vocational program.

Currently, vocational students attend Region 9 every other day for a semester, or two semesters if their program calls for that.

“There’s a big obstacle here. No one wants to lose students,” Gammon said. “We need input from the board.”

That workshop meeting will likely be held in the next two weeks.

In other matters at the board meeting:

* Adult Education Director Nancy Allen said 19 people will graduate with a General Educational Development certificate or diploma at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Mountain Valley Middle School.

* Gammon said a state team will conduct its periodic evaluation of the school next year. She said the five- to seven-person team will review all aspects of the vocational program.

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