The superintendent (name not specified) told the RSU 40 school board that a recent meeting with the high‑school student council reinforced several district priorities and underscored immediate facility needs.

The superintendent said students “love the salad bar,” the food pantry, the clothing closet and new clubs such as volleyball, debate and guitar, and praised morning supports including a 45‑minute REP period for academic help. The superintendent also said students appreciated mental‑health resources and college visits in the cafeteria and asked that the high school building be made to “look the way that the teachers make it feel.”

The district leader said those student observations aligned with what administrators have seen across RSU 40 and said the visit reinforced the board’s goal of improving communication between board and administration. He said enrollment figures are declining and that enrollment will be the first topic in the coming budget process.

On facilities, the superintendent described focused work to address the high‑school roof. He said staff have identified a possible, lower‑cost procurement route for roofing materials and are organizing volunteers to perform some of the work rather than rely solely on contractor bids. “We’re a New England community. We’re gonna rip that roof off. We’re gonna do the best we can to fix it,” he said, adding concern that once the roof is removed there may be further, expensive repairs below.

The superintendent framed the volunteer effort as part of broader outreach tied to an anticipated bond initiative on the future of the high school and RSU 40. He said the team aims to have an implementation plan to bring to the facilities committee “by the next meeting” and then to the full board that same night. He also urged early community outreach, noting local select boards and municipal officials should be informed ahead of any ballot measure.

The superintendent described a separate initiative to compile a single, public document listing local food‑assistance and student support programs after friends and staff raised concerns about impacts from a federal shutdown on food benefits.

The superintendent closed by urging the board to resume work on the district reading program and to continue roundtable discussions on literacy, budgeting and long‑term planning for the district.

Next steps noted in the meeting: staff expect to present a facilities plan to the facilities committee within a week of the meeting and then bring recommendations to the full board for consideration; a timeline for any formal bond question was not specified in the meeting record.