BETHEL — The SAD 44 board of directors learned this week that three summer construction/repair projects are done and renovation of the Telstar Regional High School auditorium sound system will begin in a few weeks.

Classes in the district will begin Tuesday, Sept. 4.

They also dealt with several last-minute resignations and hirings at their meeting this week.

Superintendent David Murphy said the cross-country track at the Telstar middle and high school complex has been resurfaced, along with major repairs to the high school roof.

Woodstock Elementary School has a new water system. A malfunction in the pipes several months ago resulted in damage to the library and some books.

He said the contract for a complete overhaul of the Helen C. Berry Auditorium sound system was awarded to Odds Are, a Portland firm, at a cost of just under $39,000.

The district received an anonymous donation of $50,000 last year to be used mostly for the arts. About $5,500 was used to pay for risers for the elementary schools’ choruses. Another $5,000 was spent on Wellness Team needs.

Murphy said work on the sound system should be complete by the end of October.

“It will make a big difference for performances,” he said.

The resignations of Andover Elementary School secretary Jen Grover and Telstar Middle School special education educational technician Marilyn Hamel were accepted.

New hires include Erin Stearns as kindergarten teacher at Crescent Park Elementary School, Megan Smith as kindergarten-grade one teacher and Karen Thurston as grades four-five teacher at Andover Elementary School. A grade two-three teacher position at the Andover school is still vacant.

Also rehired, thanks to federal money that just came in, was Gary Inman as a technology educational technician for all elementary schools in the district.

In other matters, the board agreed to change the coaching assignments and configurations for soccer teams. The middle school co-ed team will be changed to one for boys and one for girls. There will also be new coaching responsibilities.

Also, four district administrators were directed to attend a daylong workshop on the new state law governing student restraint at the Western Maine Educational Consortium on Aug. 21 at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The Sept. 10 board meeting will be held at Andover Elementary School.

[email protected]