SAD 24 school roofing project approved

VAN BUREN – SAD 24’s Gateway Elementary School will get a complete roofing job during the next two years at minimal local costs, thanks to a state grant.

SAD 24 directors on Wednesday night voted to accept a Revolving Renovation Fund Priority One, Health and Safety Issues Grant from the Maine Department of Education. The roofing project, which will cost about $800,000, will cost $240,000 in local money after the 70 percent state grant.

“Acceptance into the program was certainly good news,” Superintendent Clayton Belanger said Thursday. “We are hopeful to start the project this year and finish in the 2002 construction season.”

SAD 24 has two school buildings. The district also has applied to do roof construction at the Van Buren District Secondary School. No information has been received on the high school project, Belanger said.

The district filed an application for the state grants last November. The acceptance letter for the Gateway project was received 10 days ago.

The district had set $125,000 aside for construction projects this year. The remainder of the money will be set aside in the next budget year. No money will come from educational operation budgets, Belanger said.

While the projects could be done in one year, with ample advance time, the timetable now will extend over two construction seasons. The district already has preliminary plans for the project.

Lincoln and Mahaney Architects of Brunswick, who did the preliminary plans, will develop final plans for the project. A bidders meeting will be held in May.

“We are really behind for this season, but we will begin the project this year,” Belanger said. “We are really kind of proud to have been selected for this program because it saves the district 70 percent of the costs, and the roofs had to be done.”

In other business Wednesday night, school directors received an overview of the Settlement Road issue from Town Manager Larry Cote. The issue involves an unplowed road in Van Buren where three school-age children live.

Residents of Van Buren will vote on whether the town will plow the road next year at a special town meeting on April 26.

Cote explained that Settlement Road is only 20 feet wide in places and is not passable during the spring mud season. He said the road would need improvements if heavy equipment is to take care of the road during the winter.

The road was closed to winter maintenance by town meeting action in June 1995. Supporters of the proposal to plow the road were at Wednesday night’s session.

No action was taken by directors. Cote had been invited to give an explanation of the issue.

Directors also received a report on the March 29 bomb threat at the high school. Directors were told of the incident, what happened and what has been done to date. The incident is under investigation by the Van Buren Police Department.

Police have some leads, but no arrests have been made.