RUMFORD — The Regional School Unit 10 board of directors took no action Monday following an executive session to discuss a draft lease from the town of Mexico for the district’s use of the former Mexico police station on Recreation Drive for sixth grade students.
According to Superintendent Deb Alden in an email on Tuesday, the board of directors received the draft lease paperwork on Monday afternoon. “… We have not been able to have our attorney look at it, which needed to happen anyway. We hope to get it back to the Board for approval asap.”
She added that the board “Probably will have to have a special Board meeting for approval (of the lease).”
The middle school at 58 Highland Terrace was closed Oct. 8 after air quality tests showed high levels of mold. Students switched to online learning Oct. 15. The school serves 366 students in grades five to eight.
During a board meeting in November, directors voted to begin the process of moving Mountain Valley Middle School fifth grade classes to Rumford Elementary School and to prepare the former Mexico police station on Recreation Drive for sixth grade students.
Seventh and eighth grade classes are expected to move to Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.
In other business Monday, directors hired James Hodgkin of Leeds as Buildings, Grounds, and Transportation assistant director. He was hired at $70,000 annually and will serve under Buildings, Grounds, and Transportation Director Devin Roberts.
Hodgkin is a retired school administrator who served as the superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 43 based in Rumford starting in 2003 for a six-year term. The MSAD 43 district morphed into RSU 10 in 2008.
“This position along with Devin Roberts (director) will both be in the two Regions (the Rumford area and Buckfield area schools) and will allow us to have Administrative presence in both Regions,” Superintendent Deb Alden said in an email on Tuesday.
Also, Alden told the board at Monday’s meeting that the district received a $8,349 grant from Full Plates Full Potential, the Brunswick-based nonprofit that serves to end childhood food insecurity.
According to School Nutrition Director Jeanne LaPointe on Tuesday, the grant money will be used for the open display cooler in the Mountain Valley High School cafeteria. The cooler provides self-serve milk and other beverages, along with smoothies, parfaits and salads for students to grab and go.
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