TOPSHAM — In addition to voting to retire professional baseball player and Mt. Ararat High School graduate Mark Rogers’ high school jersey and changing the status of the high school’s girls ice hockey club to a varsity team, the School Administrative District 75 board considered a special basketball court project request from a group of seven sixth-graders Thursday night.
As part of a service learning project, the students proposed creating a basketball court outside Mt. Ararat Middle School. The court would be available for students to use during breaks.
One of the student group’s members said that since the arrival of sixth-graders at the middle school in 2001, many incoming students have expressed disappointment at the lack of outdoor activities. In 2004-05, the school was the unofficial participant in the 10 minutes motor breaks, which are incorporated into the daily schedule of all middle school students.
The students group has worked since October to gather data, to research possible solutions and work with Chris Shaw, the district’s facilities director, and Mary Booth, the district’s school health coordinator, to create several plans and prepare proposals.
On Thursday, they requested school board support for one of their plans so they can move forward. Using a slide show, the students presented the school board with three project options and the associated costs and pros and cons.
Plan A would have a fullsized court located outside the south wing. Plan B would include two smaller courts outside the north and south wings on existing parking lots. A third plan would separate north and south courts so there would be one modified sized court.
The students asked to have Shaw prepare the temporary court so that students can have a court on school property while they find funding sources for either Plan A or Plan B. The sixth-graders told the board they want to share their plan with middle school staff and students. Depending on the success of securing community support and donations, they will move forward with one of the two plans.
Board member Gwendolyn Thomas said the middle school’s lack of any kind of structured exercise area “has always bothered me, so the idea of putting in basketball hoops is an excellent idea, and you really presented your case very well.”
Scott McKernan heard the full presentation at a Facilities Committee meeting and stated, “These kids are so dedicated and so motivated, that when we mentioned the fact there was going to be fundraising required … you could just see they were ready to hit the streets right there and there to start beating the bushes for money.”
School board member Joanne Rogers made a motion that in order for fundraising to begin, the board give concept approval for either Plan A or Plan B, and until such time as the group obtains funding and comes back to the board for final approval, that a temporary court be established.
The board unanimously endorsed Rogers’ motion.
Custodial services
The school board also tabled the agenda item Thursday relating to contracting out district custodial services.
Superintendent Brad Smith wrote in an email Friday that the district will seek legal counsel regarding this issue, which he said Thursday night is the reason the item was tabled, and wrote, “I would anticipate that advice will occur at the next board meeting.”
The school board’s next scheduled meeting is April 12 at Bowdoinham Community School.
The school board announced the first public forum on the 2012-13 budget is scheduled for Thursday at Harpswell Community School. The other forums will be held April 3 at Bowdoin Central School and April 5 at Williams-Cone Elementary School in Topsham. All begin at 6:30 p.m.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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