THORNDIKE – The booster group Future MSAD 3 left last week’s school board meeting with a good feeling about prospects for its proposed enhancements to the new Mount View school’s indoor and outdoor athletic facilities.

“I would say it was very well-received,” booster Alicia Nichols said Monday of the SAD 3 board of directors’ reaction to the group’s presentation. Nichols is the campaign director for the nonprofit group.

While the $40 million pre-kindergarten-to-grade-12 Mount View school now under construction will feature a new state-funded, eight-lane track, multipurpose field and an additional high school soccer field, the state will not fund items such as scoreboards, bleachers, equipment, lights and dugouts. The group was prepared to “step up to the plate to raise private funds to support the athletic enhancements not funded by the state,” she said.

In its first capital campaign, Future raised more than $575,000 to fund the 300-seat Mount View Performing Arts Center, located off the main lobby of the new school. The Unity Foundation provided a $250,000 matching grant to the campaign.

“Supporting Mount View athletics was a natural next step after funding the Performing Arts Center,” Nichols said. “A number of dedicated volunteers including the Future board and the 24-member Athletic Enhancement Advisory Committee have worked tirelessly on this plan.”

Nichols said athletic enhancement committee co-chairman Doug Van Horn gave the board an overview of the plan during last Monday’s meeting. Van Horn outlined improvements to new and existing facilities for baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, softball, soccer and track.

The plan also calls for new equipment for both track and the new fitness center, an outdoor basketball court for the middle school, improved amenities for spectators, including permanent bleachers and scoreboards, lighting for the multipurpose field, and a new outdoor high school concession building.

Nichols said the proposal is scheduled to come before the board for a formal vote on Sept. 8. She said the thought was to allow the board time to consider the plan and discuss its possibilities before voting on the proposal.

“We wanted to give them some time to mull things over,” she said. “I’m sure there will be questions. I would be surprised if district residents didn’t want to contact their own board members with questions.”

Nichols said the group has worked closely with Mount View students, faculty, athletic staff and community members to seek input on athletic enhancements. District voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum supporting the enhancements in a June 10 districtwide vote.

“The students of this district have always been Future’s first priority, and we know there’s already a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for this next project,” Nichols said.

While no financial goal for the capital campaign has been set, securing approval of the SAD 3 board is the next step in the plan. She described the capital campaigns as a marathon.

“There’s still a great deal of planning work to do. Campaigns of this scope are like an endurance race, and we have a lot of miles and hill work ahead of us, but with nearly 400 donors to the first campaign, we have a solid track record of support,” added Nichols.

For more information about Future MSAD 3 or to contribute, call 948-6120, e-mail future

msad3@yahoo.com, or go to www.futuremsad3.org. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

wgriffin@bangordailynews.net

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