RSU 40/MSAD 40 board approves moves to relieve Miller overcrowding; composite program shifted to Union

The RSU 40/MSAD 40 Board of Directors voted to relocate Miller School’s sixth-grade students to Dominic Middle School for the next school year, invite Miller families to transfer to other district elementary schools (including Friendship Village School) as space allows, and move the district’s elementary composite program to Union School.

Board members said the actions respond to persistent space shortages at Miller, where administrators have been using closets and non-classroom areas for instruction. The board’s decisions followed a lengthy discussion about scheduling, special-education services, transportation and the timing of changes as the budget is finalized.

The board motion to move Miller’s sixth grade to Dominic Middle School was made, seconded and put to a vote during the meeting; the motion was approved. Board members repeatedly urged staff to provide details on staffing, facility modifications and costs before finalizing implementation. Joshua (Dominic Middle School administrator) told the board that the change would “probably cause us to have to rebuild our process from the ground up,” citing the need to redesign schedules and preserve the middle school’s…