AUBURN — The school district will get the state’s OK to add an hour of teaching time to Wednesdays as a way to chip at snow days, Superintendent Katy Grondin said Friday. The district had been facing nine snow days before turning Friday’s scheduled workshop day into a regular day at the last minute. Five […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Uncategorized
Auburn flips Friday workshop into regular school day
AUBURN — If students were hoping for an extra-short school week, they’re out of luck. Winter weather is continuing to cause scheduling headaches for school administrators in Auburn, and this time, a teacher workshop day scheduled for Friday, March 17, has been turned into a regular school day. The School Department announced the […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web, Uncategorized
Lewiston leads the way in push to opt out of school testing
AUGUSTA — With a strong push from Lewiston parents and educators, a growing rebellion against the test-taking rules adopted at both the state and federal levels aims to make it easier for students to sit out the exams. They’re prodding lawmakers to do more to let parents know they’re free to opt out from having […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston school budget up $5.4 million
Superintendent Bill Webster is proposing a $74.2 million school budget for 2017-18. LEWISTON — The 2017-18 school budget presented Monday by Superintendent Bill Webster is proposed to go up 7.9 percent, from $68.8 million to $74.2 million. Most of the $5.4 million increase is for more staff to keep pace with growing enrollment, maintaining summer […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Oxford Hills
Education reform panel issues first report
PARIS — A 15-member commission on education reform issued its first report last week, calling for exploring statewide or regional contracts to better compensate and retain effective teachers. It was one of 17 strategies listed by the Blue Ribbon Commission to Reform Public Education Funding and Improve Student Performance in Maine. The panel was created by […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Portland teachers turn to crowdfunding for classroom materials
Tracy McGhie, a teacher at Ocean Avenue Elementary School in Portland, is seeking $558 from Donors Choose for new classroom furniture, such as these yoga balls, that are becoming popular in schools across the country. PORTLAND — Tight budgets often mean teachers turn to alternative sources to get the educational materials their students need. With crowdfunding […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine offers free lead testing for school water
AUGUSTA — The water going to Maine schools is tested and safe, but the water quality inside schools is largely unknown. A voluntary state program is covering the cost of analyzing the lead content of up to 10 water samples from each school. The federal Lead and Copper Rule doesn’t require water utilities to test […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine school boards push back against Gov. Paul LePage
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage believes Maine has a glut of school superintendents and he intends to pressure districts into consolidating administrations with the two-year budget he will propose in early 2017. LePage said in a recent interview that funding is being spent more on the administration of schools and not in the classroom. The […]
Posted inFranklin
RSU 9 approves medical marijuana policy
FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors unanimously approved a policy Tuesday to allow parents or guardians to administer medical marijuana on school property to students with medical documentation. The Medical Marijuana in Schools policy passed the second and final reading without discussion. The policy complies with a state law that went into effect last […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston: More students equals bigger budget proposal
What you need to know What’s the proposed budget and its impact? The Lewiston School Department preliminary budget is $69.9 million, a 7.8 percent increase. Superintendent Bill Webster thinks these numbers will go down. Property taxes are estimated increase 3.9 percent, or $58.50 more a year for a home assessed at $150,000. Why is it […]