LIVERMORE FALLS — Regional School Unit 73 is considering additional building and ground upgrade projects.

Superintendent Scott Albert said the building and grounds committee met Wednesday with Siemens representative Tom Seekins to discuss the possibility of Phase II projects. In Phase I, about $6 million in upgrades by Siemens were undertaken. Included were major renovations to the elementary school plus work at other district buildings in an effort to improve energy efficiencies.

Albert said the district would be signing a letter of intent to go forward with a needs and financial analysis.

Maintenance Director Kenneth Vining shared a list of 17 potential Phase II projects. They ranged in cost from $6,200 to seed and loam the soccer field at Spruce Mountain Middle School to between $503,694 and $829,828 for paving in the district.

“I realize they all won’t be done,” he said. “You can choose to cut back on some of them.”

Replacing roofs at the primary and middle schools were other high cost items. Generators for the middle and high schools were estimated to cost $137,500 each.

Vining said some paving is starting to get cracks which allows water to go down through. At some point repairing needs to be started.

“Some of the items suggested are for safety issues,” he said. “Such as changing the pathway for dropping off of students at the elementary school.”

In other business, the board updated its policy on nepotism to reflect the language found in state statutes regarding employment in the district for the superintendent’s immediate family members and board member spouses. Volunteering by board members and their spouses is also addressed.

By consensus the board also agreed to try the proposal of Drummond and Woodsum regarding board minutes. Albert had attended a workshop put on by the law firm where it was suggested board minutes include motions, discussion summaries and voting results rather than detailed descriptions.

Albert said, “If the minutes are too specific and there is a mistake in them, it can come back on us.”

Board member Dale Leblanc said, “We’re paying our attorneys. We should probably follow their recommendations.”

The board will try the simpler format and see what people think.

Transportation Director James Shink said the fall athletic trips have ended.

“There were 4,373 miles of sports trips this fall,” he said.

Shink has applied for grants for 10 buses. He also applied for Round 1 of 2021 state funding for school buses. The district applied this year but hasn’t heard anything so probably not going to get anything, he said.

Food Service Director Laura Lorette said in the last month 16,353 breakfasts and 17,276 lunches were served. There was about a thousand more breakfasts served, due in part from population shifts among the schools and partly from breakfasts being served in the classrooms at the elementary school. She will be focusing next on increasing breakfasts at the middle and high schools.

Lorette said she expects to receive a Maine grant for more than $22,000. She will use the funds to update the computer system and purchase breakfast carts for the middle and high school.

A $200 donation was presented to Lorette by the Otis Federal Credit Union as part of its efforts to end childhood hunger.

The board approved Lorette’s working with the credit union to create an ‘Angel Tree’ for patrons to sponsor a child’s lunches confidentially. She suggested the money could go to those students who just miss qualifying for reduced lunches.

Athletic Director Marc Keller said there is not enough interest at this time to form a unified basketball program at the high school. He wants to explore the idea again next year.

“A lot of large items, things from the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots,” he said. “There is a Facebook auction next week. It’s going really well.

Keller also told the board he will be holding public meetings beginning in December to discuss the future of the football program at the high school.

“The numbers are dwindling,” he said. “We need to explore how we’re going to address that issue.

Director Doug DiPasquale asked if he was looking to go to the 8-man format.

Keller replied, “We need to do something, 8-man or a cooperative team. We need to sit down and talk with parents.”

He anticipated the number of players returning next year to be in the mid to high teens, down from the 50s a few years ago. There are possibly 10 coming from the Area Youth Sports program, he said.

Pam Harnden — 207-780-9051

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

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