The soon-to-be-closed Maine Girls’ Academy was limping along financially in its second year of operation, spending slightly more than it took in, according to federal financial disclosure forms. School officials said last week they were closing the school because of declining enrollment and related financial problems. Despite an immediate surge of supporters coming forward trying […]
education
Posted inObituaries, sj-web
Phyllis Griffiths Dregallo
AUBURN — Phyllis Griffiths Dregallo of Auburn peacefully passed away Thursday, July 5, at her home, with her loving family by her side. She was born March 28, 1929, in Johnstown, Pa., the only child of Weaver Griffiths and Thelma Corle. She attended Johnstown High School, graduating with high honors. She attended Slippery Rock University, graduating […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Closing of Maine Girls’ Academy, formerly McAuley, stuns families, alumnae
The Maine Girls’ Academy in Portland announced Thursday that it will close this month, stunning students, parents and alumnae. The state’s only private, all-girls school shared the news on its website, saying the last day of operations will be July 15. “This difficult and sad decision was made necessary by lower enrollment and revenue than […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislature votes to eliminate proficiency-based learning requirements
AUGUSTA — Six years after Maine became one of the first states to adopt new high school graduation standards, lawmakers are poised to roll back those requirements by allowing towns to decide whether to issue proficiency-based diplomas. The House and the Senate voted Tuesday night to eliminate the state mandate that students demonstrate proficiency in […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
USM receives gift of 450,000 maps valued at $100 million
The University of Southern Maine has received what it describes as the largest gift in its history — mostly in the form of maps. Loosely valued at $100 million, Harold Osher of Portland is giving 450,000 maps to the Osher Map Library at USM, including a 1475 map of the Holy Land and the first […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster retiring next year
Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster takes a break Tuesday afternoon from meetings at the Dingley Building. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) LEWISTON — The Lewiston High School Class of 2019 will be the last to receive its diplomas from Superintendent Bill Webster, who has announced he will retire in a year. In a letter Tuesday to School Committee […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Explosion of high school honors grads warping college admissions game
High school seniors today overwhelmingly graduate with honors, raising questions about the value of an A or a B and forcing college admissions officers to use various yardsticks to measure applicants. There is no statewide centralized data on Maine grade point averages, but a Press Herald review of a half-dozen schools in Greater Portland buttressed […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Three small fires at new Sanford H.S. could delay school's opening
A police officer doing a routine check of the new Sanford High School early Monday morning found a small fire in the lobby that school officials say could push back the opening of the building. The lobby fire, which did not spread, was one of three small fires discovered inside the school building, which is […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Per pupil education costs figure in school budget debate
Maine voters are about to decide the fate of local school budgets, and one statistic – per-pupil spending – is being used as ammunition in debates around the state, both by “yes” voters and “no” voters. Data collected by the state shows school districts in southern Maine spent between $11,000 and $21,000 on each student […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Maine schools promote programs that help students manage emotions
When students enter the reset room at Moscow Elementary School, their hearts might be pounding in anger. Their fists might be clenched in frustration. They might be worked up because of all the noise their classmates are making. Sometimes, they just need a break. In the reset room they reflect on what they’re feeling. They […]