Continuing our commitment to the community
To the editor:
As chairperson of the School Board of MSAD 1, I take great pleasure in congratulating the staff and students of MSAD 1 for a wonderful school year in 2015-16.
The Board and I look forward to supporting the work of the staff and students for the upcoming year. The communities of MSAD 1 take great pride in their school system and we plan to continue our commitment to maintaining the strong educational and civic development of the students in our district.
In order to clarify the direction of the MSAD 1 School Board, the members of the Board spent two days developing a list of specific priority areas:
1. Teaching and learning in our district’s schools
2. District facilities
3. District finances
4. High-performing administration, faculty, staff, and Board
5. Communication with the community
We hope that the clear expression of our priorities for the upcoming school year will help us to focus our energies as we move forward as a district. The Board intends to develop specific goals that relate to these areas this fall.
In the past year, the Board reviewed the policy around Harvest Break and voted to implement full-day kindergarten in the district. In both cases, the Board sought community input and listened carefully to the individuals who spoke at the public forums or spoke to individual board members on a private basis. In the case of Harvest break, the input from the community and data from the staff resulted in the Board agreeing to continue with the three-week Harvest break in MSAD 1.
The issue of implementing a full-day kindergarten is still one which the Board is committed to since we believe that it is in the best interests of the students of our community. However, since the community did not support a budget that included the cost of the implementation of full-day kindergarten, the Board is resolved to put aside the implementation of the program until there is financial and community support to put the program into place.
One of the Board’s priorities is to increase communication with the community and to respond to relevant issues and concerns. The Board recognizes the vital importance of feedback from the community as we continue our work in supporting the work of the district’s schools. The Board welcomes community engagement and we seek to make information about the budget and school board policies accessible so that interested people can ask pertinent questions and make informed decisions during the ongoing budget process. Community members can visit the district website to review school board policies, budget documents, and to provide input on ongoing initiatives.
I would like to reiterate our pride in and support of the excellent school district that we serve. We are proud of the administration, the faculty, and staff who provide academic and social support to the students of our district. We hope that our work as a school board represents the support and pride of the communities that make up Maine School District 1.
Lucy Richard
Presque Isle
