LIVERMORE FALLS — As part of an ongoing accreditation process at Spruce Mountain High School, a committee has determined that the school’s curriculum is adequate.

RSU 73 directors and staff heard from Curriculum Committee Chairman Eric Jewett on Thursday. 

“This curriculum that we currently have was mostly developed before we came up with our 21st Century Learning Expectations and Core Values,” Jewett said.

Communication, problem-solving and civic expectations are emphasized at Spruce Mountain, he said. Students are being taught to use technology in an informational and educational way.

Jewett said other school strengths include a number of in-school events and extracurricular activities such as school plays, the band program and the Spruce Mountain Area Robotics Team.

“With our curriculum coordinator, Amanda Hersey, the K-12 curriculum has allowed us to enhance the curriculum within our school,” Jewett said.

One of the school’s needs according to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the regional accreditation association, is a full-time librarian. Jewett noted that the school also needs to develop a more supportive environment for professionals.

“Part of it is how we use our time,” he said. “The time that we have, I think we’re using well.”

However, he added, more common planning needs to be done to coordinate the curriculum among teachers in different departments.

Superintendent Kenneth Healey pointed out that this is a self-assessment of the curriculum.

“We can’t compare ourselves to someone else,” he said. “What we’re doing is comparing ourselves to a national standard.”

Board Chairwoman Denise Rodzen said that an accredited school can help students get into better colleges. It also serves as a valuable measurement tool, she said.

The board discussed the energy audit being performed by Siemens of Scarborough. Performance contracting team leader Tom Seekins said an infrastructure analysis had been performed on the school district’s six buildings to determine where energy could be saved.

“You’re not going to get it all done in one project. It’s too much,” he said.

Spruce Mountain Elementary and Middle schools were identified as having the most potential for energy savings. The audit has been taking place since June.

In other news:

• Spruce Mountain High School junior Orion Schwab and sophomore Scott Jackson were welcomed as student representatives to the board of directors.

• The next board of directors meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, in the Cedar Street Conference Room.

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Spruce Mountain High School students Scott Jackson of Jay, left, and Orion Schwab of Livermore Falls are serving as student representatives on the RSU 73 Board of Directors. They were approved to serve by the board at Thursday’s meeting. (Barry Matulaitis/Livermore Falls Advertiser)