MEXICO — RSU 10 will charge nondistrict students $200 to play football for Mountain Valley Middle School this fall, depending upon the availability of open slots.

The school board approved the charge Monday night.

Superintendent Deb Alden said the total cost for a junior varsity team and a varsity football team at the middle school next year would be $13,275 and it is in next year’s budget.

“I added up everything that has to do with this, from stipends for the two coaches, to money for equipment, getting equipment fixed (such as) helmets, transportation and officials’ fees and what not, and it came out to $13,275,” Alden said.

The school tries to have at least 22 players on each team, “and as long as we have less than that coming from Mountain Valley Middle School or RSU 10 schools we’re open to other communities sending individuals who may want to play football and their schools don’t offer it,” Principal Ryan Casey said.

“(The Middle School) has decided that middle school football is a priority and our community funds it,” Casey said, “so I don’t look at it beyond (Mountain Valley) students.”

“We budget appropriately to run a football program for our middle school and in the event that we have slots available for other communities that would be fine, but I do agree with the school board that it’s a very expensive sport and if we have slots available and individuals want to join our program, they can add a little bit to offset that cost on our taxpayers,” Casey said.

In other matters, the board voted to increase the base salary of technology coordinator Brian Carrier from $65,000 to $70,000,  following an executive session.

Carrier has been the technology coordinator since July 2018, but his career with RSU 10 began in 2003, when some of the originating RSU 10 schools of Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury and Byron were grouped together as SAD 43.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

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