DIXFIELD — Directors of Regional School Unit 56 on Tuesday approved a four-phase plan for having winter sports, starting with skills and drills in December and leading to regional scrimmages in early January.

Dirigo High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Jess McGreevy gave a timeline that depends on whether Oxford County maintains its low-risk status for COVID-19 cases.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Principals’ Association have given schools guidelines for community sports.

Phase one is for individual skills and drills, including shooting, dribbling or individual skiing skills, starting Dec. 14, McGreevy said. Phases two and three begin Dec. 14 and involve interteam play and scrimmages.

The fourth phase begins Jan. 11 with regional play among teams.

“One of the biggest changes is that all participants have to wear masks at all times,” she said, and the MPA has said that for indoor events no fans will be allowed.

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Also, since wrestling is considered a high-risk sport by the Department of Health and Human Services, ti will begin Feb. 23, McGreevy said.

In other business, directors approved selling used Apple laptops and iPads.

Brian Keene, district technology director, said there are about 200 Apple laptops and 250 iPads that are no longer needed.

The district has replaced all computers at Dirigo Elementary School in Peru using government money from the coronavirus relief bill.

“The main reason for the replacement … was we were having trouble with a lot of the older devices connecting to the Zoom meetings and kids being able to contact their teachers and things from home,” Keene said.

The district is planning a “community buyback type of sale,” Keene said, offering computers first to staff and community members. Money raised will be used for a down payment toward the next round of replacement computers and to help maintain current ones, he said.

The district wants to sell the computers within a month, Keene said, because they don’t have space to store them.

All students and staff have district-provided computers, he said.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

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