FARMINGTON – The Regional School Unit 9 board approved hiring a part-time educational technician III on Jan. 12 for the plumbing program at the Foster Career and Technical Education Center at Mt. Blue Campus.

The cost is $4,700 to finish out the school year and it will be paid for through a grant from the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Superintendent Tom Ward said Wednesday.

Students will assist with the plumbing at the Tire Warehouse building on Wilton Road in Farmington, Foster Director Glenn Kapiloff said. They will get some practical experience working there as well as on other community projects, he said.

The ed tech position will be advertised, Ward said.

The technician will help plumbing instructor Lucky Harrison.

The plumbing program is part time and is paid for by a $60,000 grant for the first year from the Office of the Maine Attorney General. The grant is made possible through a settlement by consent judgment in March 2015 with National Bath Systems LLC, doing business as Bath Fitter of Portland, concerning accusations of violations of the Internal Plumbing Code and violations of the Maine Home Construction Contracts Act.

The program is scheduled to be full time next school year. It will be paid for through the second year of the grant, which is an additional $60,000, Ward said.

The Maine Department of Education accepted the plumbing program late last year, which means it will reimburse the district for the costs of the program during the first two years. The program was established this school year.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net