FA closes boarding facility for now

DOVER-FOXCROFT – International students attending Foxcroft Academy will stay with local families for the time being while school officials work to bring its boarding facility up to the state’s safety code.

Some concerns about the suitability of the home for students were raised recently by local residents to the Department of Public Safety, according to Nelson Collins, supervisor of inspection and licensing for the State Fire Marshal’s Office on Friday.

The concerns prompted an inspection during which several violations were found, he said.

“[Inspector Bob Manning] found several issues that did not meet the current adopted life safety codes,” Collins said.

These included violations involving the need for a sprinkler system, insufficient number of fire alarms and structural problems, according to a FA official.

FA officials are working with the state to address the problems.

“We are confident that we can verify or address code issues and provide the requested documentation,” Bob Coffill, FA headmaster, said Friday

Collins said FA officials were advised to get certification from an engineer about the building’s structural integrity and to have a floor plan to rectify the problems.

Such an engineering study was conducted by the trustees before their purchase four years ago of the former private home at 25 West Main Street. That study deemed the building suitable for occupancy, according to officials. International students have since resided in the building.

Until the studies have been completed, the 13 international students enrolled this year will reside with local families.

The comfort and safety of students has made the administration take a closer look at these improvement issues, as well as the long-term viability of the house as a boarding home for students, Coffill said Friday.

Jay Brennan, associate headmaster, said the trustees are examining many issues in their long-range planning process. Among the options being studied are the use of traditional dormitory buildings, campus residential-style homes that could accommodate eight-12 students, or the purchase of additional residential homes in the community.

“We are exploring all options as we anticipate the future growth of the international program,” Brennan said Friday.

Meanwhile, to ensure compliance of the home, the trustees have engaged the services of a state certified engineer to examine all the issues and bring recommendations to the trustees, according to Coffill.

The trustees will look at four issues addressed by the state department: a construction permit from the Office of Public Safety; documentation from a design and structural engineer that verifies that all building codes have or can be met; a certificate from a master electrician certifying all electrical work meets applicable codes, and a certificate from a licensed oil burner technician that all codes are being met.

The headmaster said the needs being addressed at the boarding home are common to older homes, as well as those being used to house boarding students.

He said the academy already has replaced all the old wiring, created new bathroom facilities, hard-wired smoke detectors, and have begun working on the exterior of the home and have plans for a fire escape from the rear of the home.