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North Haven and school board discuss shared projects, adult education hub and teacher housing needs
Summary
School representatives presented ideas for formal collaboration with the Select Board: coordinating maintenance and capital projects (roofing, paving), using school auxiliary space for adult workforce training, and exploring joint budget workshops to reduce tax impacts and support teacher recruitment.
Representatives from the school (Ben Level and Shan Johnson) outlined several areas of potential collaboration with the North Haven Select Board during the Dec. 4 meeting, including shared contractor scheduling, capital planning and use of school space for adult education and workforce training.
Presenters said the district expects major projects in about three years — notably a school roof replacement — and suggested aligning budget timelines or holding an annual joint workshop so the town and school can coordinate capital needs and avoid unexpected tax impacts. They noted that metal roofing quotes have come in at roughly $500,000 or higher and that asphalt options are also expensive; the school hopes to use reserve funds to help time larger projects.
The school proposed converting auxiliary space into an adult education hub that could host short, low‑equipment certification courses (e.g., electricians, plumbing, HVAC, short business/IT microcredentials) as a lower‑cost path to postsecondary credentials. Presenters suggested modest scholarship or reimbursement programs and leveraging the town’s foundation for funding assistance; they also outlined potential student project collaborations tied to local infrastructure and waterfront planning.
Board members raised the tight local rental market and its effect on recruiting and retaining teachers; they discussed earlier ideas such as tax incentives or repurposing town land and buildings for workforce housing, and agreed that the topic requires ongoing, cross‑organization conversation. The board and presenters agreed to explore workshops, stakeholder meetings and better calendar synchronization to support capital planning and staffing needs.
