SAD 70 facing critical decisions

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
 HODGDON, Maine — Sometime in the near future, the SAD 70 school district is going to have to take a hard look at its facilities and make some potentially critical decisions.
Interim superintendent Clayton Belanger informed the board Feb. 10 that now would be a good time for the district to have a professional assessment of all district buildings, so they have a clearer picture for where funds need to be spent in the coming years.    “Basically, I suggested the board have a licensed person come in and give them a plan to update their buildings,” he said. “That study could be anything from building a new K-12 building to maybe adding a middle school. Or perhaps they might only suggest some renovations.”
Both buildings in the district have their challenges that need attention.
Hodgdon High School was built in 1930s and has had several expansions and renovations over the years. While more modern, Mill Pond School was specially designed as an open classroom building, without walls separating the classes. Walls have since been added to the building, but there were ventilation issues at the school in the past. They have since been resolved, Belanger stated.
In the recent past, the district has replaced windows and upgraded its heating systems.
The board agreed to spend up to $15,000 to hire an architect or engineer to perform a comprehensive assessment of the district’s existing school facilities. That money will be included in the 2014-15 budget, which the district will soon start working on. The board will not start working on the 2014-15 budget for another couple of months.
In other agenda items, the board agreed to maintain Belanger’s services as a mentor for new superintendent Scott Richardson. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Richardson’s first day on the job with the district is March 3. He succeeds Bob McDaniel, who resigned from the post at the end of the 2012-13 school year. Since July, 2013, the district has used the services of Belanger as an interim superintendent.
The next regular meeting of the SAD 70 school board is set for Monday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the central office board room.