RUMFORD — Graduation rates are continuing to rise at Regional School Unit 10 high schools in Rumford and Buckfield, Assistant Superintendent Matt Gilbert told directors at their Aug. 4 meeting.

For the school year 2023-24, 87% of Buckfield Junior-Senior High School seniors graduated and 85% of Mountain Valley High School seniors earned diplomas. The rate was about 74% around 2020 for both schools and has continued to improve each year, he said.

The district includes Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Hanover, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner.

Gilbert said the graduation rate for 2024-25 will be known Sept. 1 after staff has an opportunity work with students throughout the summer to try to get as many as possible across the finish line.

“I can tell you that with both Mountain Valley High School and Buckfield Junior-Senior High,” Gilbert said, Rumford high school Principal Tom Danylik and Buckfield high school Principal Troy Eastman “have plans with every kid that didn’t march across the stage to help them cross that threshold, and if not cross the threshold by the start of the school year, be able to cross that threshold in a fifth year at either one of the schools.

“One of the things that we have to get better at is reconnecting with those kids who have dropped out or who haven’t completed. Make sure that they understand that there are pathways that they can use here,” he said.

“They can take advantage of us as a school district complete their education up to a certain age,” the assistant superintendent said. “And so that’s one of the areas … we really need to start to focus on. What do we have that’s out there for kids who have stopped showing up to school to bring them back in or to at least make sure that they’re aware of their opportunities to finish their education?”

Superintendent Deb Alden updated directors on progress at Mountain Valley Community School at 60 Highland Terrace in Mexico, which is slated to open in January. The $92 million building will serve about 1,000 students from prekindergarten to grade eight, replacing Meroby Elementary and Mountain Valley Middle schools, both in Mexico, and Rumford Elementary School. Construction began in November 2023.

Besides the 190,00-square-foot building, there will be a six-lane track, a football field, a baseball field and a couple basketball courts.

“A lot of the paving has been done, so you can see where the parking lots will be versus where the buses come in,” she said. “It’s really coming along quickly. They’re right on schedule, if not ahead. And financially, the project is within budget, which is also a really nice thing.”

She said playground equipment bids have been sent so “we can see how much it will be to cover what we want. The state will fund that, but I don’t know how much of that they will fund yet, but I’m cautiously optimistic on that as well because the money’s there. We haven’t had to really substantially dig into the contingency fund at all.”