LEWISTON — To fight a trend of more students in school under the influence of marijuana, random searches by drug-sniffing police dogs are taking place in schools, Superintendent Bill Webster said. The first canine searches were done at Lewiston middle and high schools Tuesday, Lewiston Police Department spokesman Lt. Mike McGonagle said. “It went well. […]
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Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Freeport votes to withdraw from RSU 5
FREEPORT — Residents on Tuesday voted 953-768 to withdraw from Regional School Unit 5. Twenty-seven percent of the town’s 6,387 registered voters participated in the referendum, which was conducted as a snowstorm blew through in the afternoon and evening. “I think this shows that the community of Freeport has a lot of questions about the […]
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Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Study says Maine needs to spend $327 million more per year on schools
AUGUSTA — Education reformers often say that you can’t improve student outcomes by simply spending more money on education, but an exhaustive study delivered this week to the Legislature’s Education Committee suggested Maine needs to spend at least $327 million more per year on public schools. Lawmakers who reviewed the report Tuesday seemed to be […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Voters to decide if Freeport will leave RSU 5
FREEPORT — Voters next week will determine whether the town begins the process of withdrawing from Regional School Unit 5 or remains part of the school district with Durham and Pownal. Withdrawal will require a simple majority. If it passes, a committee will immediately be formed to create a withdrawal plan. If it fails, business […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Board backs woman’s discrimination claims against Winthrop schools
WINTHROP (AP) — A 17-year employee of the Winthrop schools whose contract was not renewed in June 2012 says she was a victim of discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Human resources clerk Jennifer Ma Sims, originally from Taiwan, said she was a victim of discrimination because of her race, ancestry and national origin and […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Lewiston-Auburn group among 4 applying to start charter school
AUGUSTA — Four more organizations have submitted lengthy applications to the Maine Charter School Commission to open new schools next fall, including two that are vying to be Maine’s first statewide, Internet-based “virtual schools.” The organizations that submitted full applications by the Dec. 2 deadline were the following: — Lewiston-Auburn Academy Charter School, which seeks […]
Posted inBethel, sj-web
SAD 44 auditor advises board to maintain a ‘healthy’ fund balance
SAD 44 is “running financially well,” auditor Bruce Nadeau told the School Board in a presentation last week. Nadeau, of Smith and Co., made the presentation in accordance with state law. He reviewed audit figures for FY’12 (two years ago). At that time the district had an unassigned general fund balance of approximately $1.4 million. […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
RSU 9 administrators to develop plan to ease overcrowding
FARMINGTON — RSU 9 Superintendent Tom Ward has tasked administrators to find solutions to overcrowding at elementary schools for next year and beyond. Ward told the school board Tuesday that overall the student population of 2,336 as of October is about the same as last year. But there are more students enrolling at the lower […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Report card shows Maine students score well in math, reading
PORTLAND — Maine’s fourth- and eighth-graders scored better than the national average on math and reading assessments, according to a study released Thursday. But the report also showed there was no improvement from the last assessment. Nationally, students performed better than they did when the tests were first given in the early 1990s, but the […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn schools: Snow days may be replaced by late starts this year
AUBURN — When the snow and sleet hit this winter, Auburn students might see delayed starts instead of snow days. Superintendent Katy Grondin on Wednesday reminded the Auburn School Committee of a change approved last year. When there’s a storm, Grondin will have three options: hold school, call off school or order a two-hour delay. […]