BETHEL — A $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor will enable SAD 44 to make a series of improvements to its arts and drama programs.

The board learned of the donation at its regular meeting Tuesday night.

Superintendent David Murphy said this is the first time a private donation of that size has been given to the district in the many years he has been there.

“We’re very pleased,” he said.

Most of the money will be used to upgrade or replace sound and lighting systems at the Telstar High School Helen Berry Auditorium. If there is any left from this and two other smaller projects, it will go to the drama account.

Murphy said the district has tried to update the auditorium over the years by painting, installing carpet and replacing seating.

About $5,000 of the gift will be given to the Wellness Team. An unspecified amount will be used to purchase a set of choral risers to be shared by the district’s three elementary schools when they present vocal concerts.

“This is a real gift,” Murphy said of the entire donation.

It was presented to the board by Bethel representative, Lainey Cross.

She said she mentioned to the anonymous donor, who visited Bethel recently, that the school could use some money. That person then donated the money and asked her to outline the needs. The donor also asked that the work to be done in the auditorium include a plaque to the Cross brothers in honor of them allowing the use of Mt. Abram ski area by the Telstar ski team.

Cross’s father, Norton, and her uncles, Stuart and Donald, were the founders of the ski area.

Cross chose the auditorium and other arts-related projects as recipients of the donation because as a student at Telstar High School she had been active in chorus, band and drama, as well as a member of the ski team.

SAD 44 received another $50,000 earlier in the year from the Massachusetts wind energy firm, Patriot Renewables LLC. That money was spent to reinstate a position at Woodstock Elementary School which had been eliminated during the budget development process.

In other matters, Murphy said preliminary reports from the Department of Education revealed that SAD 44 may receive $100,000 more in state aid than it had received during the current school year.

He said final figures won’t be known until next May. If the additional money is allocated to the district, two positions that were cut could be reinstated or the funds used for some other purpose.

The board also renewed the contract of Telstar High School Principal Dan Hart and Adult and Community Education director Jean Waite through school year 2013.

The next regular board meeting will be held Nov. 14 at Crescent Park Elementary School when new staff members will be honored before the 7 p.m. meeting.