Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
RSU 09 board approves Mount Blue Middle School culinary upgrades using reallocated funds
Summary
The RSU 09 board unanimously approved using part of a $200,000 reallocated line to fund roughly $106,000 in culinary-equipment upgrades at Mount Blue Middle School, opting for a domestic-grade kitchen now and deferring commercial hood purchases.
The RSU 09 school board voted unanimously to approve a plan to upgrade culinary facilities at Mount Blue Middle School using funds identified during recent operations and finance reviews.
The superintendent told the board committees had found $200,000 in another budget line that should have been earmarked for Mount Blue Middle School CTE programming. He presented two options: a domestic-grade renovation costing about $106,000 that would allow baking and non-frying instruction, or a commercial upgrade requiring commercial hoods and extensive installation work that could exceed $200,000. "You can bake, you, but you can't fry with oil or butter," the superintendent said when explaining the limits of a domestic setup.
Board members discussed safety and curriculum implications. One member asked whether requiring a $200,000 hood system would expose students to elevated risk; the superintendent said the concern centered on grease management and fire prevention in ceiling systems and that commercial hoods reduce that risk but add substantial cost and installation complexity.
Committee members and instructors had worked with the middle-school principal and architect to develop a recommended equipment list. The board approved the initial list for immediate implementation and discussed holding funds for three commercial hoods later rather than purchasing them now. The board did not approve purchasing the commercial hoods at this time.
The motion to approve the initial equipment list was moved and seconded and carried by unanimous voice vote. The superintendent said he would share the decision and follow up with the donor/fund custodian referenced in prior years' budgets.
