SAD 4 officials watching athletic participation numbers

GUILFORD — On Monday, Aug. 19 fall sports practices for high school and middle school teams begin across Maine. In SAD 4 roster numbers have been dwindling in some sports in recent years, as has the district-wide student enrollment, and administrators will be monitoring how many athletes come out for the teams to see if the squads have the depth for a full season and if not what may need to be done.

Parent and coach Miranda Nicole Durant told the school board during a Tuesday, Aug. 13 meeting at Piscataquis Community Elementary School that lower participation numbers are also happening at the middle school and rec levels. “What can we do to move forward?” Durant asked.

She said the Piscataquis Community Middle School field hockey team struggled with numbers a year ago with only a couple of subs. Last spring PCHS did not have its own softball team as the half dozen Pirate players were part of the squad at Greenville High School under a cooperative agreement. 

Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen said the declining number of participants in athletics and other extracurricular programs was discussed at an administrators’ retreat with officials from the Greenville Consolidated School over the summer but no decisions have been made.

When asked, Durant said she has spoken with Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Andy Shorey and one idea is to reach out to home school families to see if these students would have an interest in being on the school sports teams.

Principal John Keane said he and Shorey have discussed the matter and will continue to do so. They are looking to bring a more long-term plan before the school board later in the year. “We want kids to play,” Keane said.

Per the Maine Principals’ Association rules, if a varsity team begins the regular season and then is unable to finish, the program is ineligible to play at the varsity level for the ensuing two years. Such rules do not apply to the junior varsity or the middle school levels.

As a member of the Penquis League for middle school sports, cooperative programs are not commonplace as compared to the high school level.

“If it was a blip we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Keane said. “What’s the right answer to this?”

He said some decisions may need to be made on the statuses of the soccer and field hockey teams before the September board meeting depending on how rosters look shortly after the start of practices. 

The principal said last winter’s boys basketball team only had eight players, but these Pirates still advanced to the Class C North quarterfinal round at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. 

He said a survey of other students asked why they weren’t taking part in sports and common reasons cited are they would rather work an after-school job, not wanting to put in the time commitment for practices and games, and not wanting to put in the commitment needed if they were not going to see much playing time.

In her report to the board, MacFadyen said meetings have been ongoing with Community Development Services and the Maine Department of Education to discuss the upcoming transition of school districts providing services to 3-year-olds. 

As of the fall of 2027, a new state law will require that school districts provide educational services to this age group beyond only pre-kindergarten and including those with IEPs. Similar services are currently under the auspices of CDS

MacFadyen wrote that with the start of the school year, an effort is being made to be more specific with agendas to target certain subgroups. Some weeks only superintendents will meet while other sessions will be for special education directors.