LIVERMORE FALLS – The Jay school superintendent has extended an offer to SAD 36 to send students from Livermore and Livermore Falls to Jay Middle School in future years.
SAD 36 Superintendent Terry Despres told school directors Thursday that their sister district was interested in sharing more educational resources than the two districts have done in the past.
Despres said he’s interested in sharing more than buildings and looks forward to exploring the opportunities where the two school systems can work more closely together and moving it into the public domain.
“We see all kinds of opportunities for our students,” Despres said. He said he will be sending Wall a response to his letter.
There is a difference in education costs per students between the two systems.
According to state data, the 2002-2003 per pupil operating cost in Jay was $9,314; in SAD 36, it was $6,886.
SAD 36 is already in a one-year pilot program with Winthrop School District to share educational, maintenance and transportation leadership with Winthrop. Despres is the superintendent of both SAD 36 and Winthrop this year. The 2002-2003 per pupil operating cost in Winthrop was $6,905.
Despres passed out a letter dated Sept. 1 from Jay Superintendent Robert Wall on Thursday during the SAD 36 directors’ meeting.
In his letter, Wall said that a proposal was discussed last year in April concerning middle school students.
He said he’s beginning the process of 2006-07 budget preparations, goal setting and updating the Jay School Department’s five-year plan and wants to determine if there is any interest in the educational accommodation of SAD 36’s middle school students at Jay Middle School.
“As with many school systems in Maine, Jay’s student population is declining at this time,” he stated.
The Jay Middle School currently has 275 students in grades five through eight, 199 of those students are in grades six to eight.
“The capacity of that building, which is modern and up-to-date with (laboratories), technology and excellent service areas would easily serve over 500 students,” Wall wrote. “With this relationship, students would be able to experience a more comprehensive curriculum offering and the number of students would increase effective delivery of curriculum diversity.”
Livermore Falls Middle School has a population of 276 students in grades six through eight. There are 90 fifth-graders attending Livermore Elementary School.
“We really feel, obviously, that it is important for us to share resources in the region to benefit students,” Wall said Friday.
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