OXFORD — A plan to move Oxford Hills School District’s administration offices to the Western Maine University and Community College Center at 232 Main St. in Paris will be considered by school directors Monday night.

The school district owns the building.

Moving the Central Office from leased space at the Oxford Plaza on Route 26 in Oxford is expected to expand higher education opportunities and save the college about $125,000 a year.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Friday morning.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for the past several months,” he said.

The building is leased to the college for $1 a year, Colpitts said. The school district has used classrooms there for testing and other academic functions.

Advertisement

In a statement released Friday morning, University of Maine at Augusta President Allyson Handley also called the plan a win for both systems. She oversees the Western Maine University and Community College Center and seven other university colleges around the state.

“This is a win, win, win for UMA, Central Maine Community College and the Oxford (Hills) School District,” Handley said. “This is, more importantly, a win for the people of Oxford Hills and western Maine, who will benefit from increased higher education offerings, both in the high school and at the Western Maine University and Community College Center itself.”

Colpitts said the district will provide more classroom space for higher education offerings. Because colleges and universities are cutting millions from their budgets now, it is even more important to retain the college in the district, he said.

Colpitts said there are advantages to having the administrative offices next to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, including sharing classroom and professional development space.

Scott Knapp, president of Central Maine Community College in Auburn, said in a statement, “The school district’s generosity in making additional classroom space available will allow higher education classes to be embedded in the school day and also allow for increased classes in the evening hours.

“We can look forward to a significant increase in higher education enrollment in Oxford County,” he said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: