OXFORD – It took a petition signed by more than 600 residents and two public meetings, but Oxford’s school board and administration have listened to their constituents. In response to the taxpayer’s objections to their proposed large scale building project, the board has taken the controversial plan off the table.

At Monday night’s board of education workshop, Superintendent Randy Squier and the board announced their intention to pursue instead a smaller improvement project as the first part of a two-phase plan.

“We have concerns with the timeline and direction,” said School Board President Robin DeBrita. Everyone was in agreement following the Jan. 8 public information forum that none of the three options they had been exploring met the full requirements or financial concerns of the district, she explained.

On Jan. 13, a representative from Fiscal Advisors met with the board to discuss the potential local tax impact of the options currently being explored. Following this, a meeting with the district’s architectural firm, Bernier Carr & Associates, was scheduled to begin looking at alternative options. DeBrita, Squier and board member Mark Roach attended that meeting, held last week.

“My recommendation at this point is that we break this into two phases,” said Squier. According to the administrator, the first phase would be an improvement project designed to renovate the district’s existing buildings. This will be not a “bells and whistles” project, but a “nuts and bolts” project, he explained.

According to Roach, this will still allow the district to take advantage of state education aid. “EXCEL aid can be split between multiple projects,” he said.

Squier reported that he has asked Bernier Carr to draw up a list of options from items identified on the district’s latest Building Condition Survey as well as a list generated by teachers. According to the superintendent, health and safety items as well as energy efficiency will be a priority.

Also on the agenda will be flood mitigation at the Middle School building. Rather than a flood wall, however, the district will move forward with plans to install flood gates at the building. FEMA will provide partial reimbursement for this part of the project, explained Business Manager Harold Covey.