HODGDON, Maine — After seven months of work, a special SAD 70 subcommittee was unable to come to a consensus on where students in grades seven and eight should be housed next year and in the future.
The findings of that committee were reviewed by the full SAD 70 board during a Dec. 21 meeting, which fueled a lengthy discussion by the board.
The report by the 11-member committee, which featured two school board members (Joel Oliver and Angela Howland); two students (Madison Merritt and Autumn Ganzel); two staff members (Aimee Goff and Joe Fagnant); two parents (Melissa Berube and Suzette Belyea); and administrators Scott Richardson (superintendent), Mary Harbison (high school principal) and Loreen Wiley (Mill Pond principal), failed to come to a conclusion as to where the students should be educated.
Traditionally, Mill Pond Elementary School has served pre-K to grade eight students.
Board members Maureen Friel and Tom Horton expressed reservations about moving students into the high school, albeit for differing reasons.
“We have to admit that the high school is in worse shape than (Mill Pond School),” Friel said. “I have never heard of any district that moved students from a building that was in better shape to one that is in worse shape.”
Horton said he felt the board should be taking a hard look at if the district should sink money into an older high school building that at some point in the future could be closed due to declining enrollment.
“I can’t help but be concerned with making a financial commitment to repair a building when we don’t know what 10 years holds for the population. I don’t think we should completely wipe out other options. If that means exploring a regional school with consolidation, that might be where our next step is.”
The district is considering a loan to fix several issues at both the high school and Mill Pond School and has applied to the state’s Revolving Loan Fund program. If they are accepted, a percentage of the loan would be paid by the state.
SAD 70 Superintendent Scott Richardson first presented the idea of relocating the seventh- and eighth-grade class levels at a March 13 meeting as a way to help bolster the number of students at the high school and also free up space at Mill Pond school.
A March 31 public hearing drew about 125 people, with many residents expressing opposition to the move. Some of those reasons included concerns that the younger students could be intimidated by the older ones due to differing maturity levels; fears there was not adequate time to do such a drastic move logistically; and others who felt the move was merely an attempt to increase the viability of the high school so it could remain open.
In April, the board unanimously voted to put the decision off for one year and formed the subcommittee to explore possibilities.
As presented in the report, “the committee members were not able to come to a consensus as to what the best location for seventh- and eighth-grade would be for next year. We have two unique programs for pre-K to 8 and 9-12 and some members agree with (those) in the public who want to preserve the schools as they are currently configured. Other members see the potential of a 7-12 school as a positive move for the students and a move that helps preserve a high school presence in SAD 70.”
Some of the advantages to moving grades 7-8 to the high school listed in the report were:
—Teachers and students would be housed in the same building rather than teachers going between buildings and not be available to students at certain times of the day.
— High school teachers have available blocks in schedule to teach grades 7-8.
— High school teachers are already certified to teach grades 7-12 and can teach in their areas of expertise.
— There would be an increased population in the high school building.
— The move would free up space at Mill Pond School for program development.
— The gymnasium at Mill Pond School would be more available with one less lunch period needed.
— Grades 7-8 students could have access to full science labs.
Some of the advantages of keeping the students at Mill Pond School listed in the report were:
— The social/emotional aspect of keeping the students in a younger configuration.
— Mill Pond School as pre-K to Grade 8 is unique in the area and should be preserved.
— Hodgdon High is very unique as the only 9-12 high school in the area and should be preserved.
— The prediction of declining enrollment at the high school has not been realized as the enrollment is down about seven students.
— Hodgdon High is not currently set up for 7-12 configuration — although it could be done.
The report showed that the district could save as much as $100,000 per year by making the switch. Much of that savings would be achieved by reducing staff and sharing resources. However, in order to reconfigure the high school, the district would incur a one-time cost of $30,000 in renovations to build new classrooms.
Another public hearing on the report will be held sometime in February.
