RUMFORD — The Select Board has approved $12,500 to appraise the Rumford Elementary School in order to apply for a federal grant to help convert it to a community center.

“This appraisal is being conducted for the purpose of applying for a grant of up to $3 million in an upcoming funding cycle with the Northern Borders Regional Commission,” Rumford Economic Development Director George O’Keefe told selectmen in his request at their Aug. 3 meeting. “It will allow us to perform conversion work on Rumford Elementary School when it is taken out of service as a school as a result of the construction of the new school in Mexico.”

In April, the Select Board voted 5-0 to pursue an application for a grant through the commission.

In May, Regional School Unit 10 directors voted to award the school and land at 121 Lincoln Ave. to the town after a new K-8 school opens in 2025, Regional School Unit 10 Superintendent Deb Alden said.

O’Keefe said the grant “allows us to fulfill our local match requirement through the provision of the school property itself as it stands there today. In order to determine the value of the building for the match, the federal criteria specifically prohibits the use of the tax assessment of the school, which is roughly $2.7 million.”

He said that in order to determine the value of the match, they must use a master certified real estate appraiser. “So this appraiser will determine, for the purposes of the federal match, the value of Rumford Elementary School. It is a very important step.”

O’Keefe said the entire property, including the land, is included in the appraisal.

O’Keefe said in April that getting the grant should be considered as a first step. “This will not provide for the creation of the total facility, but it would likely pay for the planning and engineering of such a facility.” The timeline to use the grant would be three years, he said.

The new $91.8 million Mountain Valley Community School is planned for the site of Mountain Valley Middle School at 58 Highland Terrace and Meroby Elementary School at 21 Cross St., both in Mexico. It would replace those schools and Rumford Elementary School.

The school will have space for up to 1,050 students in grades kindergarten to eight and services for children with disabilities from birth to 5 years old. Plans include a health clinic in partnership with Rumford Hospital and an early childhood education program run by Region 9 School of Technology staff and students.

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