MEXICO – Work is expected to begin Monday for the Region 9 vocational school’s $4.9 million expansion, board members learned Tuesday.

“We had a preconstruction meeting on Monday and we like what we’ve seen so far,” said Norman Clanton, chairman of the board. “By Monday, there will be activity on site.”

The board awarded the contract to Bowman Brothers Inc. of Newport last week for $3,395,000, a figure low enough to allow two additions to the basic project. Those will be construction of three more classrooms and a flooring upgrade.

The rest of the $4.9 million funding will cover such things as architectural designs, a contingency fund, advertising, legal costs, and a variety of smaller expenses.

On Tuesday, the board approved borrowing $3,165,000 from the Maine Bond Bank at an interest rate of about 4.5 percent over 20 years. The state is providing a grant of $673,000 and $1.06 million in a no-interest 10-year loan.

An official groundbreaking will likely take place soon after classes begin in early September.

“A groundbreaking is needed, now that the shovel meets the dirt,” said board member Craig Zurhorst.

Clanton said the board’s Facilities Committee will generally meet at 9 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month when anyone with an interest may attend. The next committee meeting has been set for Aug. 30.

The 17,000-square-foot addition will provide sufficient space to move two programs into the building from modular classrooms on the school’s lot.

, and the addition of two new vocational programs in automotive technology and early childhood development.

In a related matter, Diane Ray, acting director of the River Valley Growth Council and River Valley Technology Center, presented an idea involving cooking, the culinary arts and small businesses associated with food service, that could include Region 9 in the future.

When the board and the sending districts’ superintendents were deciding what two new vocational programs to add, culinary arts was among the top four. But because of the high cost of setting up a professional/educational kitchen, culinary arts was not included in the building project.

Ray said the organizations she represents are looking into the possibility of using a portion of the technology center as a shared use kitchen.

“If we can underwrite the cost for the kitchen, is there interest? We’re looking at designs and layouts for educational and commercial kitchens,” she said. “If we build it, would you use it?”

Clanton said interest continues in culinary education.

“We’re interested in continuing a dialog,” he said.

“It would be worthwhile following up on that, tracking the kitchen,” Zurhorst said.

Ray said the tech center is also interested in any other types of training initiatives Region 9 would be interested in.

“We’re open for all kinds of ideas. We do a lot of ‘what if’ thinking, creative solutions and hard work over time,” she said.

Clanton plans to invite her to tour the Region 9 school.