The Jefferson School Board passed the torch for the new school building project to Central Lincoln County School System superintendent Bob Bouchard during a regular meeting Wednesday night.
Bouchard takes over for Frank Boynton, who has moved on to become superintendent of RSU (Regional School Unit) 40 (formerly known as MSAD 40).
As of July 1, several school systems reorganized throughout Lincoln County, including Jefferson, which joined Union 74 to become the CLCSS or Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 93.
According to Jefferson Board chair Robert Westrich, Bouchard will act on behalf of the Board to work with Oak Point architects and the State regarding the formation of the new school design.
During the referendum vote on June 9, Jefferson voters gave Oak Point architectural firm the go-ahead to start designing the new school project by authorizing the Board of Selectmen to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,350,388 for the project.
Residents also approved local funding for additional space in the new school building (in an amount not to exceed $121,137) and for an emergency generator for the project (cost not to exceed $141,969).
Westrich said there will be many discussions between the State, architects and the School Board relating to the new school design. He said Bouchard requested representatives from the School Board and Building Committee to participate in these discussions.
The goal is to have a new school completed and in place by July 2011 for classes in September that same year. Westrich said they are pushing to complete the design of the new school, to have bids out sooner, rather than later.
