RSU 10 grade proposal ‘disruptive,’ parent says

Amanda Burse of Rumford addresses the Regional School Unit 10 board of directors Monday night in Mexico. (Rumford Falls Times photo by Marianne Hutchinson)

MEXICO — More than two dozen residents attended the Regional

School Unit 10 board meeting Monday night to express concerns about moving elementary students at two schools.

Meroby Elementary School in Mexico and Rumford Elementary School each have grades pre-kindergarten to five.

Because kindergarten and fourth grade classes are overcrowded, the board is proposing having all pre-K to second grade students at Meroby and all third through fifth grades at Rumford.

A community forum on the proposal will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Muskie Auditorium at Mountain Valley High School.

Amanda Burse of Rumford said the changes would cause a “disruptive separation of our students and staff.”

According to information from Superintendent Deb Alden on Monday, the kindergarten classes in October had 19 or 20 students per classroom. However, adding a kindergarten teacher and redistributing students between the schools lowered that number to 16.

There are four classrooms of 23 to 25 fourth-graders between both schools and the board would like to add one more class to make them 19 or 20 each, Alden said.

RSU 10 includes the towns of Mexico, Rumford, Roxbury, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner and Hanover.

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