MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE
DISTRICT NO. 64
Bradford Corinth Hudson Kenduskeag Stetson
To: Citizens, Staff, Parents/Guardians, and Students of
M.S.A.D. No. 64 Schools and Communities
From: Daniel A. Higgins, Superintendent of Schools
Re: Invitation to Community Forum on the
Future of Education in M.S.A.D. No. 64
Date: April 15, 2008
Since
Governor Baldacci’s January 6, 2007 announcement of his plan to consolidate
Maine’s school districts and the 123rd Legislature’s subsequent
passage of PL 240, Part XXXX in June of 2007, the Board of Directors of
M.S.A.D. No. 64 and the M.S.A.D. No. 64 Reorganization Planning Committee (RPC)
have been working diligently and in good faith to comply with a law that
provides for the most significant and sweeping changes to the education
landscape in Maine’s history.
While
the Board and RPC worked proactively and with due diligence to comply with the
provisions of the legislation, the presence of a variety of barriers
(financial, geographical, and philosophical) and challenges (proposed changes
to the law, often-conflicting and often inadequate information from the
Department of Education), prevented M.S.A.D. No. 64 from identifying an
appropriate partner for consolidation.
As a result, the RPC recommended and the Board approved submission of an
Alternative Plan to comply with the law.
As the Legislature is still in session and considering amendments to the
law, including a proposal to repeal the law, the RPC and Board have opted to
wait for final legislative action and DOE direction before proceeding.
RPC
members gained a deeper understanding of our District during their efforts to
comply with the legislation through intensive consolidation work with other
school units, which included comparisons of our own District programs with
programs offered in other districts, They learned that, historically, the
District has operated in a fiscally responsible and very efficient manner
(annually one of the lowest per pupil costs on a statewide basis). They also found that, comparatively
speaking, the District has traditionally provided a good program for our
students and is considered by a recent report from the DOE to be an “average
performing” District. Several members
questioned whether or not our communities were satisfied with being considered
an “average performing” district.
In
addition to the factors outlined in the preceding paragraphs, the RPC and Board
have also been working to address other issues that will impact our District
whether we continue on as the current M.S.A.D. No. 64 or become part of a
larger Regional School Unit. Amongst
those factors are:
As a result of the combination of these factors, the RPC and Board of Directors decided to work together to identify a clear direction for the future of education for our five communities and students. To ensure that the future direction is reflective of the representative values and beliefs of all stakeholders, both groups were clear in their resolve to gather input from parents, citizens, staff, and students. They decided that community input would best be gathered by holding a forum in each of the five communities.
When
will the Forums be Held?
The
following schedule was designed to provide a more convenient opportunity for
members of all five communities to attend.
Community members are welcome to attend any of the five sessions.
Town Site Date Time
Bradford Bradford Elementary School Wednesday
May 14, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Corinth Central
High School Monday
May 12, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Hudson Hudson
Elementary School Thursday May, 1, 2008 6:30
p.m.
Kenduskeag Kenduskeag Elementary School Monday
May 5, 2008 6:30 p.m.
(following
KSO meeting)
Stetson Stetson
Elementary School Wednesday May 7, 2008 7:00 p.m.
(following
PTF meeting)
What
is the Format of the Forums?
The
forums are designed to be an opportunity for the Board of Directors and RPC to
gather input from stakeholders to facilitate crafting a direction for the
future for education in our District.
Each of the five sessions will be an hour in length (a maximum of an
hour and a half in length if necessary) and will focus on the following five
core questions:
Responses
given at the forum will be recorded on chart paper. This will permit all attendees to both hear and see responses and
to facilitate consolidation of responses from all five forums for future
consideration. Those who may not be
comfortable responding verbally will be able to offer responses on note cards
or via e-mail. Sessions will focus on
the specific questions only and all responses will be respected. The forum is not intended as an avenue for
individuals to address school or student-specific issues. Those issues should be directed to the
appropriate individual.
The
RPC and Board envision many challenging and difficult conversations and
potentially difficult decisions over the next three to five years. In determining the appropriate future
direction of education in our District, it is likely that there may be changes
in the way business is conducted and education is provided in our communities,
costs associated with providing the appropriate and necessary quality programs
and services to our students, and the need for the ability and willingness to
work together as a unified community on behalf of the education of our
children.
Historically
the Board of Directors has served the District well in supporting the best
interests of our communities and students in providing a quality educational
program. Since its inception last July,
the RPC has acted in a similar manner.
The groups will continue to work collaboratively to provide a quality
program and comply with the consolidation legislation as we move forward during
these challenging times. They believe
it is important to have your input and support. We hope you are able to attend one of the sessions.
If
you are unable to attend any of the sessions but would still like to offer
input you may e-mail responses to suptoffice64@sad64.k12.me.us. If you have any questions, please call the
Office of the Superintendent at 285-3334.