MEXICO – More than 50 students, parents, staff and others packed the Region 9 cafeteria Tuesday night to fight for the diversified occupations and cooperative education programs.

The programs face possible elimination at next Tuesday’s regular board meeting as directors seek ways to reduce the school’s 2008-2009 operating budget.

Troy Houghton, a graduate, was a student in the diversified occupations program and credits it for his learning a work ethic through job shadowing, and for having a job with benefits now.

“I owe it to diversified occupations. That opened my mind,” he said.

Houghton, of Carthage, was one of more than a dozen students, former students, or business people who employ students in the diversified occupations or co-operative education programs who spoke at the meeting.

“A lot of young adults need this program,” said one woman. “Not all children learn the same.”

Vance Child, owner of a taxidermy shop in Dixfield, said he had been with the program for years and served as an employer for diversified occupations and co-operative education students.

“This is not a program to cut,” he said.

Kate Clough, a counselor at Dirigo Middle School in Dixfield, said there are always students who would not be successful in high school if the programs weren’t offered.

“Think of the cost to the community (without the program). This is the first time some students have ever been successful,” she said.

Dirigo High School Principal Dan Hart, who previously served as student services coordinator at Region 9, said he has been on both sides of the Region 9 programs.

“I see how this program (diversified occupations) enhances other high school programs, how students are productive. I can’t say enough. I’m very proud of its success,” he said.

Chairman Norman Clanton said at Tuesday’s meeting that the vocational school is trying to balance the needs of students and costs to sending schools. He said schools won’t get reimbursed for two years for the additional money they will be paying out.

“These are tough decisions for all school board members,” he said.

SAD 43 has a program similar to Region 9’s diversified occupations program, but neither SAD 21 nor SAD 44 do, he said.

At issue is how to bring the nearly $2 million vocational school budget down, said Region 9 director Brenda Gammon.

Last year’s budget was $1.3 million. But because voters approved a $4.9 million renovation and expansion project at the school and new programs in automotive technology and early childhood education are scheduled to begin in the fall, the budget ballooned to nearly $2 million.

Gammon said Wednesday that Region 9’s Finance Committee is expected to meet later this week to work out three budgets: one that would cut both programs, one that would cut just one, and a third that would leave everything as it is.

Cost for the two programs is about $225,000. They serve about 30 students and employ three instructors and an educational technician.

When the proposed budgets are presented at the March 18 meeting, Gammon said costs for each sending district will also be presented.

Voters from the 16 sending towns will act on the budget in May.