SAD 44 residents overwhelmingly approve $80,000 to fix bleachers, school roof

BETHEL — Residents on Tuesday evening overwhelmingly voted to authorize the School Administrative District 44 board to spend up to $80,000 for new bleachers at Telstar Middle and High schools, and for roof repairs at Crescent Park School.

A validation referendum will be held Tuesday, June 9, at polling stations in Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock.

Superintendent David Murphy told residents the district had about $580,000 in the School Capital Reserve Fund. Residents authorized the school board to spend $210,000 the previous year to fix the Woodstock school roof and sections of the middle and high school roof.

“We’re fortunate in this district that our buildings are very well-maintained,” Murphy said. “We’ve been working on roof projects for the past several years to make sure we don’t run into the same problems that other school districts have run into, in terms of maintaining their buildings.”

He lauded Maintenance and Transportation Supervisor Ron Deegan and the district’s Finance Committee for “looking at these fixes as a top priority.”

“The way the process works, the Finance Committee figures out what specific projects that should come out of the Capital Reserve Fund, and then we come to you so the money can be approved and the issue can be put to a referendum vote,” Murphy said.

About $55,000 of the $80,000 would be used to repair the Crescent Park School roof, while the remaining $25,000 would be used to replace the bleachers at the Telstar complex, all in Bethel.

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