SAD 4 officials working on secondary school options

GUILFORD — SAD 4 and neighboring SAD 46 of Dexter have applied for state funding for a comprehensive high school that will combine traditional academics, career and technical education, and access to college courses. The first application in a two-part process for a new facility was turned in during October and the second part is due in October 2026.

Earlier this fall Foxcroft Academy sent a letter to the six towns that make up SAD 4 regarding becoming the high school for students from the area on a tuition basis.

The future of high school education was discussed by the school board during a meeting Tuesday evening in the Piscataquis Community Elementary School cafeteria.

“They have the money to do that,” Board Chair Niki Fortier said in response to a question about Foxcroft Academy offering to accept grade 9-12 students from SAD 4. The letter says this could start as early as next fall.

“We can’t do it next fall even if we wanted to, it takes time,” Fortier said.

“We looked at options and decided because we entered into an application with the (Maine Department of Education) for a regional high school we are committed to this project,” Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen said.

“We as a board have not said we are opposed to consolidation with Foxcroft Academy, but we are in this application process so we are committed,” she said. “We feel we are well into that process and want to see it through.”

SAD 4 and SAD 46, along with the Tri-County Technical Center, have submitted an application to the state seeking funding for a fully integrated grade 9-16 comprehensive high school which would combine traditional academics, career and technical education and college courses.

Board member Thelma Regan said the institution would also be an economic boost to the region as community members could access some career programs.

Other high school groups have submitted applications, MacFadyen mentioned. 

An application based in Aroostook County with Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle high schools was announced recently.

Board member Art Jette, who formerly served the town of Garland on the SAD 46 school board for a dozen years, said representatives from SAD 4 and SAD 46 have worked well together on the application process and have settled the administration and governance aspects of a potential new high school.

Four directors from both districts would be on the board overseeing the high school instead of basing numbers on town populations. The high school directors would have a co-chair structure for the first few years, and then the chair would alternate between someone from SAD 4 and SAD 46.

“I think we really have a solid uniform status with each other’s community,” he said, which should help as a plan for a regional high school at a to be determined site will ultimately be voted on by citizens from the 10 towns between the two districts.

The site of a future school depends on several factors, including availability of town water and sewer and traffic studies done by the Maine Department of Transportation.  School officials do not yet know how much funding would be available from the MDOE.

If the project is approved the projected timeline would span six or seven years. That includes foundational development, then detailed designs and local referendums, followed by construction and staff preparation for the school opening.

“It’s more important to join together to be able to provide more for students than we have now with the limited resources,” Jette said.

In other business, Maintenance Director Mike Dexter reported that a hot water heater at PCES has been replaced with a cost of nearly $54,400.

The previous 3,000-gallon unit had a leak and needed to be replaced. The new system has a pair of propane-fired quick recovery water heaters. One is run for a week and then the other for the ensuing week.

An alumnus — who asked not to be recognized — donated $25,000 to the athletics program. It was requested the funds be used toward refurbishing the PCES gym floor, building enclosures for the soccer benches to shield team personnel from the weather and purchasing a new sound system for the outdoor fields.

The gym floor was taken care of the week prior, with the donation saving district about $3,300 Dexter said. He said the middle school teams play games in the high school gym but these squads will have a good surface for practices at PCES.

“We are so appreciative, in our community we have some very generous people,” MacFadyen said.

With Athletic Director Tom Panciera at the high school boys basketball game that evening, Fortier passed along some items on his behalf.

The cooperative varsity girls basketball team with Dexter Regional High School has been going well. The now combined Tiger team will play one home game n Guilford, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 against Stearns High School of Millinocket.

Fortier said it has been nice to see the “Pirate Pit” student section filled for basketball games, including the previous week when the middle school teams and PCHS boys all played on the Friday afternoon/evening — in the finale senior Brady Gaw reached the 1,000-point milestone. 

PCSS Principal Lee Pearsall mentioned the attendance rate is at 92%, holding steady in recent months.

“Our attendance rate I really find phenomenal for this time of year,” she said.