Construction laborers work in July on the new entrance to the Mt. Blue High School, Foster Career and Technical Education Center and Performing Arts Center in Farmington.

FARMINGTON — RSU 9 Superintendent Tom Ward told board members in July that he has stressed to contractors that classrooms at the new Mt. Blue High School campus need to be completed as soon as possible.

The district’s custodial staff needs to be in the building by Aug. 1. By Aug. 15, everybody needs to start moving in, he said. The first official day of school for staff is Aug. 26.

The auditorium for the Performing Arts Center won’t be done for opening day, but it will be close, Ward said.

The $65-million renovation and addition project is nearing completion at the campus for the high school and Foster Career and Technical Education Center. Adult education will move into a quad-portable unit later this year. A double-wide classroom will also be part of the program. 

Students from the high school and vocational center will be in the building this year. There were 12 portable classrooms last year.

Half of the portable unit for adult education was in place in July, while the other half was on wheels in a nearby driveway.

The classrooms are all supposed to be done by the time school begins, Ward said.

A new two-story classroom wing opened last year, while an existing three-story classroom wing was under renovation. It will reopen for the beginning of the school year. A one-story wing opened two years ago.

The rain has been great for the athletic fields, Ward said. The goal posts are up on the grass field, which is to be used for football, soccer and field hockey this year, he said.

dperry@sunjournal.com