SAD 4, SAD 46 reevaluating regional high school

GUILFORD — Six days before the SAD 4 Board of Directors regular monthly meeting on Nov. 12 in the Piscataquis Community Elementary School cafeteria, the Milo-based SAD 41 School Board voted against putting approximately $133,300 of district funds toward startup costs and a site analysis for the pursuit of a regional comprehensive high school. By doing so, SAD 41 has decided to discontinue its participation in the project with several other area school districts.

“Everyone knows our regional high school project stalled,” SAD 4 Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen said, mentioning how the Maine Department of Education wanted the, at one time, four interested school districts to cover the startup and site analysis costs.

In 2022 representatives from SAD 41, SAD 4, the Dexter-based SAD 46, and RSU 64 of Corinth met with the Maine Department of Education and were told they needed to cover the estimated $800,000 costs of an engineering study and other planning efforts before receiving $100 million in state funding to build the project. MDOE officials said the state would not fund the planning expenses, with these instead to be divided between the school units. No districts were locked in as public votes on formally joining would be taken in the future if the project progresses.

Earlier this year the MDOE offered to fund half of the $800,000 costs with three districts being responsible for the other $400,000 — divided into three $133,300 shares for SAD 4, 41, and 46.

“Central said they were done entertaining the idea of it and they were out,” MacFadyen said about RSU 64.

She said SAD 41 was “not interested in coming up with their portion of the money to do the study and they voted out.”

Three school districts were needed in order to receive funds for a regional comprehensive high school. SAD 4 and 46 may reapply on their own to the Maine Capital School Construction program, the bulk of the application is already written, with MDOE having a June 2025 deadline.

MacFadyen said this is set to be a topic of conversation at the Nov. 13 facilities committee meeting. She said in SAD 46 the district’s facilities committee would also be meeting and the two entities would later meet together to look at the next steps.

“So that’s where we are with our regional high school, it’s still a work in progress,” the superintendent said.

More than a half decade ago SAD 46 headed up an application between itself and SAD 4 for a $100 million first-of-its-kind secondary institution integrated with a career and technical school along with the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System, and it would support industry training programs. Later on in the process SAD 41 joined in a non-binding agreement and then RSU 64. 

At first projects based in the Madawaska and Houlton areas ranked higher, but these proposed schools did not progress as residents could not agree on where to put the building.

Board Chair Niki Fortier said she and MacFadyen met with Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey and Board of Trustees President Ethan Annis. MacFadyen said part of the conversation mentioned rehabilitating the Penquis Higher Education Center in Dover-Foxcroft to expand vocational and technical training programs for not just Foxcroft students but pupils in other districts and area residents who are out of high school.

Eastern Maine Community College no longer wants to own the Penquis Higher Education Center, preferring to be a tenant instead. Foxcroft Academy would ultimately own the facility, but the town of Dover-Foxcroft would own the building during the funding process.

The conversation brought up the idea of SAD 4 tuitioning high school students to Foxcroft Academy.

“We’re still trying to tease out the regional school project we’ve talked about for a few years,” MacFadyen said. She said Foxcroft Academy could be another option to consider  in the future.

In other business PCES Principal Anita Wright said, “Students in sixth grade are still raising money for their therapy dog.” There is a $5,000 cost, which includes a liability policy.

She said the sixth-graders learned about financial literacy by selling candy bars for the therapy dog. There was no up front expense but after selling about $900 worth of candy they students had to pay about $800 for the purchase of the bars.

“They are very thankful now when people donate,” she said, mentioning unsold candy bars will be put out on the student market in the new year.

“That is a very practical, hands-on thing to learn,” School Board Vice Chair Brian Levensailor said. He said he was glad staff were involved to help teach the students about financial literacy.

Every year Wright encourages the sixth-graders to make a difference in their world via the “Make a Difference” challenge as they brainstorm, develop, and complete projects that positively impact others around the world. 

After Christy Gardner from Mission Working Dogs spoke at last year’s Veterans Day assembly, the then grade 5 students decided their goal would be to get a therapy dog for PCES. Once this was decided, Wright and PCES Social Worker Alexis Rollins contacted Mission Working Dogs to see if they could make the idea a reality.

Mission Working Dogs is a Lewiston-based nonprofit that breeds and trains service, therapy, and facility dogs for veterans, schools, and nursing homes, amongst other various communities and populations. Gardner and her team have been working with PCES to determine what is needed to get a therapy dog in the school, and will continue to work with the sixth-graders throughout the year to complete the project. 

The therapy dog will provide numerous benefits to PCES students through helping them to form healthy attachments, develop emotional intelligence and strategies, and reduce anxiety and stress. The students will be able to see the entire process of the dog being born, naming the animal, being updated on its progress through training, and watching the canine grow during its first year of life.

Wright had said the earliest the dog would arrive is January 2026, after a 15-month training process, and the sixth-graders know they will have moved on from PCES by the time the dog is in the building.

Board student representative David Tuttle said the Response to Intervention time early dismissal option for eligible juniors and seniors has gone well so far this school year.

PCHS students end several days a week with Response to Intervention time. During this session teachers can virtually tag students through PowerSchool to come into their classrooms to make up work and tests and RTI can also be used by pupils seeking extra help, for various clubs to meet, and by those who would like to relax in the gym or cafeteria. Upperclassmen in good academic standing with no obligations are able to sign out and depart campus

Tuttle said there have been no issues with the policy so far in 2024-25, and the hope is to expand it to the sophomore class. He said this would encourage these younger students to get their work done and focus during the school day.