School consolidation plans move forward in Oxford Hills [Video]

Voters in one of the largest school districts in the state will decide in 2025 if they want to consolidate their elementary schools.The Oxford Hills School Board (MSAD #17) voted 19-1 Monday evening to endorse the elementary school consolidation project unanimously supported by the district’s Elementary Building Committee earlier in December. The $70 to 80 million project would build a new elementary school in Norway, pending final approval from the Maine Department of Education. That school would be designed to handle 450 to 480 students. Elementary schools in Hebron, Oxford, Otisfield and Paris would remain open and the district would work with with municipal leaders in Harrison, Norway, Waterford and West Paris to develop plans to reuse school buildings in those towns. The plan will go to a district-wide vote in November 2025.It did take voters three tries to approve a school budget this year. In October, they finally approved …