DAYTON — The local historical society has become a town committee.

Nearly all of about 30 residents at a Special Town Meeting Monday night voted to allow the town to create an appointed five-member committee.

The Dayton Historical Society was founded in 2001, with one of its primary goals to refurbish the former Franklin-Dow Schoolhouse, which dates back to the mid-1800s, and is located at the corner of Buzzell and Murch roads.

Since then, the historical society had been operating as a separate organization from the town, and in the warmer months, holding meetings at the former schoolhouse. This summer, town treasurer Angela Cushman informed the group that the town’s insurance policy would not cover events the historical society holds at the schoolhouse, as the society was not a town committee.

Residents at Monday night’s meeting also approved creating a town fund for the historical society as a line item in the budget. The society has about $8,000, which will be managed now as a town account.

In other business, residents also approved allowing the school department to move money around in its budget to allow for the purchase of a mini-van. The school asked the town to authorize the transfer $35,000 from other areas of the department’s budget to its transportation line.

School Board Chairman Denis Elie said the transportation budget was “bare bones,” and the district needed a van to transport special needs children to school in Scarborough.

Elie said the school department was not asking the town for extra money, it was just moving money. He said there was some staff turnover this year, and the department would be saving “a pretty significant amount of money.” The school department currently has three buses.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribunecom.