LEWISTON — Louise M. DiMaggio, 84, passed away peacefully with her loving family by her side Tuesday, Nov. 21. She was born in Boston on July 10, 1933, the daughter of the late Redmond and Louise (Higgins) Alward. Louise would tell anyone that the most important thing in her life were her six children. She was […]
Auburn School Department
Auburn seeks solution to school subsidy confusion
AUBURN — Confusion over the $1.2 million in additional state subsidy received by the Auburn School Department this summer could result in a few extra dollars for taxpayers. During a workshop Monday, Sept. 11, city and school officials hope to find an easy solution to disburse $128,755 to Auburn residents after it was not reflected […]
'Fear Factor' winner at Food for Thought
LEWISTON — Tanya Vanesse, a computer technician for the Auburn School Department, will present “My Fear Factor Live Reality TV Experience” at the Lewiston-Auburn Senior College’s Food for Thought session Friday, March 10. She will discuss her appearance in the studio version of Fear Factor Live at Universal Studios, in which daily theme park guests become […]
System has failed the teachers
During the Auburn School Committee meeting April 6, a number of teachers from across all grade levels took the floor to address the Superintendent, the School Committee and the audience. Those educators spoke to both their years of experience and their dedication to student learning. Why have 17 teachers left Auburn Middle School since the […]
More money for a failed system
This is in response to a Sun Journal story (March 31) about the proposed Auburn School Department budget. The public hearing was a well-rehearsed puppet show, starring an 11-year-old who begged officials to keep a librarian on staff. Not a science teacher or an industrial arts teacher. No, a librarian. My phone showed me a […]
R. Hansen: Reality has caught up
This is in response to Robert Sevigny’s attack on the Auburn School Department (April 23). A decade ago, the city budget was 40 percent of the municipal tax levy while the Auburn School Department’s was 60 percent. Today, those percentages are virtually reversed. The average price to educate students in the latest statistics available (2013-2014) […]
J. Keenan: Changes needed in Auburn
Did any of the Auburn city officials learn to subtract in school? Four decades of population decline in Auburn; less and less students, year after year; yet in 2013 it took three times for voters to approve an honest School Department budget. Department officials cannot make a cut anywhere and the department sprints to the […]
School budget frustrating for Auburn mayor, school officials
AUBURN — Mayor Jonathan LaBonte’s penchant for redesigning government bumped up against school officials’ frustrations with state-enforced budgets during a special joint meeting Thursday night. LaBonte suggested now might be a good time to consider putting all youth-related matters — from library to recreation — under the School Department’s control. His ideas were not received […]
R. Nadeau: Good direction for schools
Auburn’s School Department should be commended for taking a stance for allowing students a chance to receive an associate degree after six years in high school. Such a plan was Gov. Paul LePage’s campaign promise of 2010. Maine’s voters passed a referendum to have the state fund education at 55 percent. The Legislature has never […]