WESTBROOK – With Jon Ross as principal of Westbrook High School, school officials are considering a new approach to his former position as director of adult education that could involve Community Center Director Maria Dorn.

The concept would have Dorn run the district’s adult education programs from the community center, rather than the school department, a measure that proponents said would make sense and save the school department money.

School Superintendent Marc Gousse brought the idea up for discussion for the first time at the Aug. 15 School Committee meeting.

“This is a pilot program,” he said.

City Administrator Jerre Bryant said Gousse brought the idea to his attention, and it made sense.

“It seemed like a logical match-up,” he said.

Dorn said if the changer were approved, she would also assume responsibility for adult enrichment programs, teaching skills ranging from small engine repair to money management.

The community center, at the Fred C. Wescott Building, already offers similar adult ed programs such as t’ai chi, yoga, CPR, and water fitness classes that could easily be folded in to the school department’s offerings.

“There’s opportunity to expand, and it’s not a duplication of services,” Dorn said.

Dorn said she has done similar collaborations with Ross and the school department in the past, and looks forward to the chance to do it on a more permanent basis.

“It’s just naturally what we do here,” she said.

At last week’s school committee meeting, Gousse said some of Ross’ former responsibilities, such as running the district’s General Educational Development program for adults, would remain the responsibility of existing staff members. Gousse also noted that Dorn would not take on the district’s alternative learning program, which Ross also ran. The committee is still working on who will take on that responsibility, members said last week.

Hard numbers on just what the proposed adult ed program would cost are not yet available, but early estimates suggest that Dorn would take a small salary, in addition to her compensation as community center director. Compared to Ross’ former salary of $101,000, School Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said the move could save the district as much as $80,000 per year.

“I think we’re getting a great value with this,” he said.

But it needs approval by both the School Committee and City Council before it can become official, and neither board has voted on it yet. The School Committee is expected to bring up the issue again on Sept. 9.

Maria Dorn, director of the Westbrook Community Center at the Fred C. Wescott Building, may soon be folding adult education programs from the school department into the center’s offerings.