LIVERMORE FALLS — All students in Spruce Mountain schools will be dismissed early today, according to a notice sent out from Regional School Unit 73 shortly before 9 a.m.

“Despite the forecast of the rain stopping and temps staying warm, water is still rising in a number of places,” the notice indicated. Out of an abundance of caution, RSU 73 will be dismissing all kindergarten through grade 12 students at 11 a.m. today, and the pre-kindergarten students will be dismissed at 11:30, it stated.

There will be no after-school activities.

At just after 6 a.m., the district sent out a notice warning of flooded roads and the impact it was having on student transportation.

Parents were advised that due to the weather, a lot of roads were impassable and closed due to trees down and flooding. “Please take your child to the nearest and safest bus stop to meet the bus,” it stated. “Also, expect buses to be delayed due to detours and road closures. If you decide not to send your child, please just let your school office know.”

More information was provided midmorning by Norma Jackman, transportation director.
“The lists are growing as time goes on,” she wrote in an email.  The decision to release early came after speaking with Livermore Falls and Livermore road crews about roads being closed, and trees and wires down, she noted.

“I was concerned that we would not get the students home later in the day due to more roads being damaged and rising water going over the roads as the day goes by,” Jakman wrote.  “Some people thoughts were it will get higher before it gets lower.”

Road closures affecting bus routes Monday included:

Livermore
• Goding Road
• River Rd.
• Boothby Rd.
• Norton Rd.
• Robinson Rd./River Rd. — wires down

Livermore Falls
• Claybrook/Souther Road intersection/Record Rd./Moose Hill Rd.
• Routes 133/106

Jay
• Granite Heights — tree across the road
• Morse Hill Road — flooded
• Davenport Hill Rd./Rt. 140 — concerns about water rising as the day goes by, getting the students home before that happens
• Keep Rd. near the Rt. 17 East Dixfield Rd. end.

Franklin County Emergency Management put out a request to stay off the roads and not travel unless necessary due to roads looking passable but are not, Jackman noted.