EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine — The school system’s enrollment has fallen 55 percent since 1995. Another significant drop-off is expected in three years, which is about when Schenck High School will need close to $4 million in repairs, Superintendent Quenten Clark says.
All of this raises a question, Clark said: Is it time to start considering closing the high school and sending the students of AOS 66 to other places?
“Frankly, the community has a choice,” Clark said Thursday. “We can keep Schenck here, but we have to invest considerably more in the school — and expect to pay more to educate our children once that is done.”
Closing Schenck “is nothing anybody would wish for,” Clark added, “but there’s not a lot that anybody can see to do about it. Everybody who sees the numbers comes to the same conclusion.”
Clark has issued his warning as school officials prepared a zero-growth budget for the 2012-13 school year that they hope to present to the Great Northern School System’s board of directors, which serves East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville, in about three weeks.
The timing is right, Clark said. No decisions need to be made immediately, but residents who start pondering the question now won’t have to rush to make decisions during the 2014-15 school year. That’s when old sections of the high school’s roof — and possibly its boiler system — likely will need significant repairs and when school officials expect to see a vast drop in the area’s birth rate begin to have an effect on the schools, Clark said.
An engineering firm’s 2010 structural survey of Schenck found an estimated $7.9 million in repairs needed, though Clark estimated that the school could do without half that work.
“Next year looks like it will be a pretty normal year,” Clark said, “but when we get beyond that, and every year we get beyond that, we will probably have a lot fewer kids.”
As of November, Opal Myrick Elementary School, which is now a wing of Schenck, Medway Middle School and Schenck had 430 students, with 17 of those coming from Woodville, 183 from Medway, 227 from East Millinocket, and three from the Unorganized Territory. In 1995, 778 students attended the schools.
The lack of new or increased student enrollment causes several other problems, Clark said. As the number of students drops, the cost of educating them increases and fewer academic and extracurricular offerings become available. The lack of students also decreases state aid to schools, which further increases the burden on AOS 66 taxpayer, Clark said.
“At some point it becomes a question of what kind of quality education you can offer students,” Clark said. “There’s nobody to blame here. It is a culmination of all the things that make a natural resources economy uncompetitive and the kinds of things that have been happening in this area over the last 25 years.”
Clark said he plans to discuss the issue further with the AOS 66 board during this year’s budget process, which ends with the adoption of a new budget that goes into effect on July 1.
If there is going to be so few students is it really worth the 4 mil to keep the school? How far would these students have to travel to reach the next school?
’bout 7 miles across the pond.
not likely. They are in no better position but you have a superintendent that isn’t being honest with anyone.
Stearns needs how many millions in repairs? I’d have to say no immediate repairs are a better position than 4 million……..
There is no solid reason to send E Millinocket, Medway and Woodville to the end of the road in Millinocket…Lincoln or beyond makes more sense for the future…Millinocket is dying a slow death because of dropping enrollments…why should these towns prop up the end of the road!
your comment makes absolutely no sense
it makes plenty of sense.
Keep thinking that damnyouz, you and the one other person on here that think Lincoln is the better choice can live in your own little tunnel.
no solid reason??? here’s one of many but 16 miles round trip from East Millinocket and back with diesel at over $4.00 per gallon or 40 miles round trip to Lincoln……The exact numbers may be a little off but being conservative with them this is how it would break down.
1 bus = 10 mpg, 5 buses a day for 16 miles with fuel at $4 per gallon1 bus = 10 mpg, 5 buses a day for 40 miles with fuel at $4 per gallon
We may not be the smartest people in the world but we sure do have common sense…….
The whole premise of going to Lincoln or beyond for East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville is getting away from the poor attitudes portrayed of we(Millinocket) are so much better than anybody else in the Katahdin region!
if you have a better facility is there something wrong with thinking your town is better for the consolidation???? Once again i’ll say it like i always have, why would anyone move out of a million dollar home and move into a $100,000 home for the same cost??? Again, common sense goes a long ways……………
I would say the mirror would be a good start. Millinocket has tried to bend over backwards on consolidation only to be met with a rock wall; especially in Medway
James,
Then why does Millinocket run a bus down to Lincoln (region 3) in the a.m., drop kids off and then drive the bus back to Millinocket empty in the a.m. and then turn around in the afternoon, drive the same bus back to Lincoln empty to pick up a couple of kids and then back to Millinocket.
When all you would have to do is drive your bus to East Mill, let your students get on the Medway bus that takes East, Medway and Woodville students to Lincoln (region3) and stays there all day (Medway’s driver works at region3) until the students get out and transports them back to Schenck.
You may have common sense but, you may want to check some people’s common sense!!!!
Hey, you might be right and if you are congrats. Im not well informed by the whole bus routine. You might just have one valid point. All i can say is that Millinocket might have a contract with Bragdons bus service and that might be part of the contract. Without knowing the facts its hard to say why they do what they do. I’m not like the most people on here, im young, no children in the system, only looking for whats best for the youth of the area. Personally i have worked in both school systems, talked to many of the students along the way and the majority want to consolidate. Consolidation gives the youth more opportunities, keeping things as they are doesnt.
Then as you have said, without knowing all the facts it is hard to say why people do as they do. With that said, it is clear that you don’t have all the facts on what you are talking about on here.
Each of the towns have issues, there is no doubt about that, one of them being the reason you’re Super. Is going to Augusta next week and try to get the sudden & severe monies to make up a near several hundred dollar short fall in your school budget that ends at the end of June. If he does not get it he will be handing out pink slips within the next couple of weeks. So you see we all have issues and it is not all smooth sailing in Milli.
Also the contract with Bragdon is not the issue, Millinocket rode with the Schenck kids for one year, it cost Millinocket about 12K for the transportation. I don’t think you are getting it for that know.
i dont have the facts on the BUS issue, i do on the other hand have plenty of facts from researching that provides facts. The other situation that your forgetting to consider is you have the tax from the mill, we dont. That is a huge deal with the amount of available money. I have more knowledge of whats going on then you may think. I admit when i dont like i did with the bus situation your proposed. Got no problem admitting when im wrong. Something a lot of people cant do. Hopefully everything pans out. But once again, where is the facts that states if we dont get the money we will be handing out pink slips? I’ve never seen or heard anything about that. Could you let me know where to gather that information?
Call your Super at the school and ask him or maybe Herbie Clark. If they are honest with you they will tell you, the meetings are all set up. The super needs this money to fill the hole in the budget due to the China money that did not come in, and it needs to be in this years budget that ends June 30th.
So you called the super, talked to Herbie Clark and got your information? I mean if you want me to do that i will, as long as that’s the same source your got your information from…
You asked me “Could you let me know where to gather that information?” from the post above. I told you the people who would know. I will not tell you my source.
News on the street is east should end the contract with Medway house their own K-12. Then they would have to worry about the many faces of one Mr. Stanley!
News on the street, what street would that be?
That would really be beneficial for East wouldn’t it, even less money to run the school. Medway students make up half of the school.
Well what they get from Medway, it just might be.
He is the source. Pulling the strings of too many people for too long. Well the communities have had enough of it. Start listening to the residents!! They don’t want to travel their children to Lincoln. Why do you think Lincoln is the better option when you think that it is ok to degrade Millinocket but your child can sing and dance there? We are all in hard financial times. Wake up!
Lincoln is the better option because they provide a better education. Look at the test scores, look at who’s on monitor status with the state. It is about education not rivalries like everyone in Millinocket would want to believe. Get your head out of the sand and see exactly what kind of education Stearns offers compared to Lincoln and get back to me.
i could go ask anyone and get a different answer. I want to know your information, i’ll ask them. If they are so credible and you are right, why wouldnt i want to hear it from them? You want me to go ask the super, if he tells me something different than what you say then he’s a liar.
It is true. Millinocket included the sudden and severe money, along with all the ‘Chinese’ money into their budget. That money is already spent. How much longer can they go, considering that was a good chunk of their budget, before they can’t pay the bills? Call the ones that medwayone listed and like they said, if they are honest they will tell you the same. Call your councilmen. They were pleased as punch that the school board did what was asked and decreased the budget, by adding those monies in their budget. There are never any guarantees with the state. The law says that money is not supposed to come until next budget year. Someone promised someone who passed it along that we could possibly get it early because 1 other town has in past. With the state budget crisis that isn’t likely this year.
and you have no holes in your budget? I guess we shall see if you do not get the money either.
Thats right no holes
So you have 7 million to fix your schools. Sounds like a sink hole.
You have tax from the mill, you get more than East.
You are getting taxes and a TIFF from the mill. No one in Millinocket thought of sudden and severe until East applied for it and Milli decided to ride the coat tails all the way to the bank. Fine and dandy but counting chickens before they hatch, in this case the money, is just one of the problems East Millinocket has with Millinocket and their politics is another. There is more to this then the education, which is lacking and makes a few more miles to Lincoln very justifiable to parents.
And safety apparently is not a factor for your students, especially in the winter!
Greg your sucking up to Quimby would destroy our economy and your position on the schools has and will continue to hurt our kids education, its time for the people to wake up you have shown no leadership and your views are a failure .
must of hit a nerve!!!
No, he hit the nail on the head!
No just stating the facts i hear the only thing your good at was doing donuts on the high school lawn.
Bragon’s bus service has bent over backwards to help Millinocket out.
No one said they didn’t, where did that come from Bruce?
well you were talking about cost associated with busing. Wonder what the cost would be to bus Medway kids to Katahdin, Lee, or Lincoln. Oh that is right you are in a better sistuation so you can afford it.
Yes, and you should know about checking common sense, blinded by attitude.
IF your school system was soooooooooo budget aware then how do you explain this? Your school system was offered seats on the Medway bus to Region. That bus drives down each day to Region, the bus remains there all day while the driver works at Region. That bus brings home all the students at the close of school. ONE TRIP DOWN,ONE TRIP HOME PER DAY. Your budget concious ( hahahaha) school board refused to accept the offer. They drive to Region every morning, return every morning empty. Drive back to Region every afternoon empty, and bring home the kids. TWO TRIPS DOWN, TWO TRIPS BACK PER DAY!! You certainly aren’t the smartest and certainly elected people with no common sense to your school board!
and your board does? seems your board was the one that refused to talk about consolidation. If their had been serious talk a few years ago, you may not be in this situation with Schenck?
WOW with a comment like that you must be a Quimby lover too.
We don’t need any repairs now they have all been done over the years, the school is in great shape.
The school maybe in great shape and is a better facility. However isn’t school about education. Stearns is not providing for their kids the way they should, Schenck is.
Put the two together and we would have the best facility and the best education, a win win !
Really you have a half installed boiler… quit acting like the place is a palace!
I’d take a half installed boiler over 4 million in repairs……….When you going to tell me where i eat everyday btw??? You seem to know where i am daily but havent stated anything factual to back this up…….
Don’t worry this woman never has any facts! Two new boilers and the project is going fine and we have a top notch facility.
and can’t meet the state standard for education. I’d be proud. All show no go. Is it about the pretty building or the education provided there? Just wondering.
show your facts that we don’t meet standards instead of making a claim that for all intent and purposes is nothing but your opinion based on hear say. Its not that hard to do, if your right and have proof, why wouldn’t you show the world that your right??? I haven’t yet see you post anything to back up anything your saying.
Leavitt don’t bother replying to these clowns. It’s a waste of breath,
SHE IS STALKING YOU!
make that 1.5
what do you mean no better position? Our facilities are all repaired. Other areas may need work, but the structures are in excellant condition.
Yes but don’t forget all the students they have to pick up in the process and then travel to Millinocket. So what was once a what 10 or so minute ride turns into a lot longer then that!
They would travel 15-20 miles to the next viable school system in Lincoln. The school that is 10 miles away is experiencing similar drops in enrollment, and the numbers would be too small even if the two combined.
I guess you forgot the part where Lincoln already told them no once? They are full and in fact refused other towns as well. So, you’re either looking at Sherman ( good luck on that bus ride in the winter time. ) or what something nearly in Bangor? Oh and any of those choices would also mean the towns would have to pay tuition to those schools per student! And if we are broke where is that money coming from? Maybe you should be asking your selectman/former chairman where the $500,000 is that he stole from the school’s budget that was approved by the voters IN THE SCHOOL BUDGET next time you see him – – – – – – – -.
what about Stearns?
What about it? They are in the same boat. They have declining enrollment and financial problems up the ying yang, just no body talking about it yet. I’d rather send my children to a school that is on good solid financial footing. Not one living on pipe dreams and promises. How much longer can Millinocket go without the sudden and severe money? I’m betting not much longer.
Idiots join hands with stearns and just maybe you can work together to better you education for your children. It’s not about your childhood rivarly anymore!!!!!
Ventulater, we have tried that, it gets tiresome after year after year of the other side not wanting to do anything but spout are bad off we are instead of trying to work together.
we need money because we have done something that you haven’t, UPKEEP OUR SCHOOL!!!!!!!!
Yes we live in Maine and heat is a necessity. However, the first obligation to the students is an education and all you are giving them is a boiler and an arts dept that you steal their education away to fund.
Please do some research, your seriously making statements with nothing to back it up. I just did some research, according to http://www.greatschools.org this is the breakdown of the MHSA testing results from 2010.
Schenck High School Testing scores Science – 32% (state ave. 41%)Writing – 44% (47%)Critical Reading – 39 % (48%)Math – 39% (46%)Stearns High School Testing scoresScience – 41% (41%)Writing – 36% (47%)Critical Reading – 36% (48%)Math – 37% (46%)From the looks of it, neither school is very good and yes Schenck has better writing, critical reading and math scores. Schenck on the other hand doesn’t meet the state average in any category and Stearns does with science. Stearns offers no AP courses and Schenck does. If you add all the percentages up, Schenck is at 154 and Stearns 150. Both schools are rated 5 out of 10. So really, how effective is your AP courses? How much better education do you have? Please back up your words, don’t just state something without knowing the FACTS!!!
Look into how many students complete college coming out of the 2 schools. Look at how many are forced to take remedial classes in college. Look up what that means in the end for these students. How many juniors and seniors up in Millinocket are graduating with college credits? I know a dozen kids down here are graduating with 2 complete college classes under their belts some with 3 or 4.
Again, where is your facts? Ya i went to college and had to take an English prep course i wont dispute that. Completing college has nothing to do with the education they receive or what school the come from, it has to do with students will to learn and how much they want somethings. Some people decide they don’t want to be in debt, they want to work and that in no way has to do with the school they came from or what they learned.
Well, get the 2 schools together, get rid of both supts. both boards, elect 2 new boards that want to work together. Get rid of block educating. Start with a whole new system. Even if that were to happen, I doubt Medway would be happy. It has more than just to do with education their kids, I have listened to it over and over.
well, the school is newer than Schenck, They would travel 20 minutes rather than 30 or more. Combine the 2 schools and they will probably not be so cash strapped. Time to get rid of the rivalry and come together for the good of the students…
Who are you kidding? Millinocket has tried to talk to Medway and East for at least 10 years.
NOTHING TO OFFER BUT A NEW BOILER If they find some magic money to pay for it and IF the company doesn’t come back and rip it out for non-payment. They barely pass their accredidation each summer. And with their continued refusal to offer AP classes they aren’t making any friends in that dept. Shall we start on all the ridiculous money wasted on recruiting Chinese and now Indian students?
can you please link the site that says the school barely passes accreditation, the one that says we dont want to offer AP classes, the one that says we are recruiting Indian students? Please i’d love to see you back up your opinionated statements
She can’t, in fact she still doesn’t know the sludge dump is in East Millinocket!
If Lollisucker was half as smart as she thought she was, she would be at least twice as smart as she really is
When she lived in Millinocket not many people liked her, now she lives in East.
Lucky Millinocket
Allot of kids in Northern Maine travel 30+ miles one way to school.
That’s right. The students from Allagash are bussed 45 miles one way each day and the road they travel on makes Rt 157 look like an interstate. I have traveled this road.
BAD96, it all boils down to the people making decisions are living in the past. They refuse to look at the present situation with open eyes, looking to squash the past rivalry and offer the youth something with possibilities. It is sad, you talk to people with people 35 and under with no kids in school, 80% (opinion) of them think you should consolidate. The 35 and up crowd are still living in the past rivalry from when they were in school.
As long as Gregg Stanley is the chairman of the Medway School board it won’t happen.He has stated this before. But you know it’s funny his kids go to the drama club at Stearns. The only thing we can do for the students is give them a good education because there isn’t any jobs left in the area to amount to anything.If the student body keeps declining in both schools then you have to cut programs and then what? The students will probably have to go to a prep school to get into college. The students will work it out. Change both schools colors,call the sports teams the “West Branch Lumberjacks and Jills. It can work!
It isn’t about rivalry for everyone down this side of Dolby. Some of us care about the education our students are getting.
When the do not have to, other than attitude and pride?
Good try. Try we want the biggest bang for our buck. Best education for the money we are going to spend. Millinocket is not it.
yea, and the system is perfect? Now if we can get rid of our Supt. it might be a start
you ever notice they talk about how much pride they have on education and how much or a quality education they provide but yet they dont test any better then the Millinocket School system on the MEA”s nor do the even meet the state average on any of the MHSA state testing. Hhmm, quality education huh
eaasier to let them ramble sometimes
Lincoln has half of Woodville’s students now and last year was offering to take Medway’s students. Where did you get your info, you seem to know everything including how to drive a school bus SA
i think Woodville should go to Lincoln, give Medway their option to go where they want and East comes to Millinocket and our elementary goes to East.
Lincoln has never said they wouldn’t take our students. that was a vicious rumor started by a ‘super’ person Milli’s way.
opposed to all the rumors you float around compared to stating sources. Ya know if this was a college class you’d fail for plagiarism or unless this is your opinions your trying to pass off as factual.
to small? I graduated in 1999, enrollment was over 400 in the high school, sports program were class B and some class C. Yes Stearns has lost students and will continue. Do some research before you say “The school that is 10 miles away is experiencing similar drops in enrollment, and the numbers would be too small even if the two combined.” According to highschool.com, Schenck High School has 219 students and Stearns 265. Combined thats 484 students. If you look further into the matter, 484 students would make the combined enrollment the 56th biggest school in the state, ahead of the towns of Lincoln, Houlton, and even Orono. Get the picture, if we combined schools we would be the biggest school north of Old Town asides from Presque Isle and Caribou. Since when does 56th out of 139 constitute to small? I would like to thank you for showing everyone how people think, make a statement without any facts, all based on your opinion which is clouded by the past. Furthermore, Lincoln currently have 447 students, add Schenck students to that number. Can the school even house that many students???
According to the Maine DOE enrollment figures from 10-1-11, Stearns has 192 students and Schenck has 160. A closure of Schenck or merger of the two schools would creat a solid Class C school of 350 kids and in a building (Stearns) with plenty of room. This is a smart move.
Mattanawcook has 355 students.
thanks for the correct numbers, as i said i got those of highschool.com
You have nothing to offer. A curriculum that is 1960’s at best. Not one AP class. Have you taught the teachers to use power school yet? Or are you still re-printing report cards 4 and 5 times a grading period till they get them right? Oh and yes we’d all like to send our kids to a school with a sub-standard education and 3/4 of the school failing!
hahaha, nothing to offer huh? Your right, keep your kids, send them where you want. All im asking is before you spout off about Millinocket make sure you have facts not opinions. Dont make it a personal attack against people. I have never directed comments about East towards a board member, teacher or any other person. I have pointed out solid facts unlike yourself. Show me the 1960’s curriculum, show me them re-printing report cards, show me 3/4 of the school is failing. And while your at it, keep your students, start your own performing arts program. Our program has nothing to offer so why you sending them?
I find it hard to believe that taxpayers in East Millinocket are going to approve the $4 million and watch their taxes increase big time.A good portion of the town is retirees and don’t have any kids in school.
I’d love to see Schenck start their own show choir. Just remember that decreases your numbers to pick from too. I would think if it wasn’t beneficial to them to do it they wouldn’t. They came to East Millinocket and wanted East to allow our High School students to play football. Why is that? Because with out East they might not have a team this year.
hahaha, you ever think that your students want to play??? You let them come up here for football when they are young but stop them when they get to 6/7 grade. You ever think that kids want to play sports and have all kinds of options. You dont think that none of the Stearns students want to play soccer but cant. Talked to students, find out what they want for sports, what they want to play not what you want. Ya we may not have enough for a team but you dont stop to think that it takes atleast 22 players to safely have a team for football, you can run any of your sport programs with 2 kids over what is required. Really i wish you didn’t hide with a screen name, making all the claims without even thinking about how it benefits the youth. Instead you want to live in the past and keep this a thing of you helping us out. Get over youself, put youth first and maybe things would work.
I did some research for you cause i know you wont. 24.44% of Stearns students made the most recent honor roll compared to 24.34% at Schenck. So i guess at Stearns your either on the honor roll or failing out of school according to your statement of 3/4 of the school failing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again, factual vs. opinions…………
Easier classes? It isn’t the honor roll I’m looking at it is the percentage of students meeting the standard. It is the number of students having to take remedial classes in college because they aren’t getting the education they should be in high school.
follow along here Damnyou2, I bring up honor roll to a previous comment from Lollipopaddict saying that 3/4 of Stearns students are failing. Its called research my friend, you’d be amazed at how much it helps when you make a statement.
Why not work together to get the best out of both systems? That is if you can get Medway’s Chairman to listen.
It isn’t just Medway. East Millinocket just voted, unanimously, not to allow Schenck students to play football. You have no friends on East’s board either.
It was just like when Schenck kids wanted to play hockey. Which would of cost the system not once cent. Yea, I am sure they are thinking of the kids.
because you know if you allowed it, your soccer program would take a hit and possible not exist!!!
Lincoln has less than 400, their biggest class is about 90 students
Thanks deerhntr, just looked it up, Lincoln has 413 k-4, 369 5-8 and 355 9-12. If Union 113 did send their students to Lincoln, would the elementary be capable of handling 555 students? or the middle school handling 501 and the high school 515? I guess these are questions not looked at. I’m not aware of the sizes of the schools and how many they are capable of handling. All i can do is look at the numbers and see that they would need to have enough rooms and teachers to keep the student teacher ratio around 18-20:1
What part of declining enrollment don’t you understand. Eventually there would be half that number of students again even with the towns combined. In 4 years Schenck has a Kindergarten class of 14 at this point. Millinocket’s isn’t much bigger. Do the math it isn’t rocket science. Stearns would be right back in the same boat but draggin East and Medway down with them.
once again i’ll do your research for you. At this point and this is according to the Maine Department of Education as of 10-1-11 and released on 1/23/12, enrollment level in Union 113 is 142 students k-4, 132 5-8 and 160 9-12. Millinockets levels are 195 students k-4, 148 5-8 and 190 9-12. There is 28 in kindergarten not 14 as you stated. I guess asking me what i dont understand about declining enrollment that I dont understand isnt what you should be asking. You should be doing some research, look at the numbers. See, this is what you do to have factual stuff, do research, make a statement and then post the site where you got your information for everyone to see. Enough with your opinions!!!
http://www.maine.gov/education/enroll/attending/statefallpub.htm
That’s just silly.
yes bout 7 miles but the parents would never let that happen so it looks like it would be 27 miles to consolidate with Lincoln
Parents need to get out of the way and stop living in the past, the good old days are gone.
these two schools need to consolidate. Sounds like there are a bunch of people in their 40’s still wearing their old letter jackets. Glory Days are over.
Millinocket has tried several times to talk.
Millinocket never tried to consolidate anything until they knew they were going to be in trouble eventually. This was around 2008.
You better go back and check your records, Millinocket has TRIED to talk to the East Millnocket system about consolidating before the last Supt. was here. Whatever her name was.
you mean Sarah Alberts, same super that had their budgets froze because of the possible short fall. Same super that had their school district in multiple lawsuits. The same super that cost us lots of money for her lack of knowledge. You mean that one brucefl56? ahah
That’s the one, Millinocket tried to talk about consolidating even before she came. Medway has a good habit of dissuading East Millinocket.
why can’t two towns so close get along!!!!
Ask Medway
Bruce, Medway has no vote in East Millinocket or Woodville, they can go where ever they want. So you may want to ask them.
Medway is not the issue, Medway can go to Katahdin, Lee, Lincoln, East or even Millinocket. Medway isn’t in trouble East and Millinocket are.
Not the issue, I have heard some of the comments. “Their is no way I am sending my kids to Stearns”. Does Medway make up the difference of the State mandated tuition to East?
has Katahdin, Lee, or Lincoln stated that they will take you at any time? If they haven’t you probably shouldn’t falsely state they will. I havent seen any of such, but you could be right.
Clark sounds like a pragmatist. Good common sense in that man. He will be stoned…
It’s a tough situation when the person most willing to speak the truth is the person that people least want to hear from. The reality is that the paper industry has been in decline for years and with the explosion of the electronic age, there is no reason to believe that demand for expensive (non-China) paper will ever return. Magazines and print newspapers are history. It’s time to scale back this industrial focus and evolve into a National Park service community.
Nope, the reality is that Maine’s paper industry puts out more paper than ever before. They’re just doing it with far fewer workers.
http://www.maineahead.com/private-tour-verso-paper/
And giving it away free because someone’s math education was SO POOR they didn’t know there was a difference between a ton and a metric ton!
about as good as the Previous board of selectmen giving away all that land to the state around the dump. They can’t add either. Give it away, give it all away!
Acadia National Park is a very long commute from East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville. Therefore, becoming a national park service community probably wouldn’t be feasible for the area.
Bangorian’s weak attempt to qualify a National Park in the great northwoods is laughable at best.
Service WHO?
The minimalist backpacker that buys most of their gear in southern Maine on their way to a cheap vacation in the “wildlands”?
I’ll take papermaking, bear hunting, moose hunting, snowmobiling, ATVing, and all forms of heavy industry that would put our people to work if it was allowed here.
You make to much sense for Bangorian to understand !
I would like your post 10 times over if I could, noparkforme. Why change the Katahdin region into a place where only the very wealthy can afford to live and play on the weekends? A National Park might address some economic issues, but it has the very real potential to change the region as we know it.
A national park of the scope envisioned by Bangorian,Red squirrel,Treehugger, et al would spell economic disaster not just for the Katahdin region, but for all of rural and most of the rest of Maine.
In case you hadn’t noticed you are sitting in the middle of an economic catastrophe , disaster, right now. Sticking your head further in the ground and wiggling your hips like an agitated ostrich doesn’t seem like much of a solution.
Roxanne writing your posts for you now, birdwatcher?
He’s right. And only part of my motivation is in seeing the land conserved and tourists drive up I-95 and spent their money on the way up. I’m also interested in seeing Millinocket become a place that can pay its own bills – we’re spending far too much money propping that area up in the form of corporate welfare to the charcoal factory and unemployment payments for people who continue to be delusional about mills jobs.
Paying too much to prop up the area? Where are all the tax dollars we paid in over the past 100 years? Give me a break. We paid our dues and need some help now.
Unless you’re an employer (which I highly doubt), YOU don’t pay unemployment taxes.
Hey Bangorian, this our home, not your playground. If you want a national park go enjoy the one we already have. Plenty of people already come here for Baxter Park, snowsledding, hunting, fishing, rafting, skydiving and so on. If you really think that a National Park is going to boost the economy to the point that no one is collecting unemployment or we can “pay its own bills” then well you might want to go check yourself in to Acadia for insanity. A National Park would in the long run cost you more than any current situation. Please do some research. Never knew tax payers money pays unemployment or the towns receiving sums of money from tax payers around the state to fund the town. Please if there is factual evidence, post the link on here to prove it.
I think it has changed allot already and not for the good. It will get worse.
None of any of those things would conflict with the benefits of an NP. None so blind ect. ect. The Ka-ta-din “No Park” lemmings are on the march. Like little fluffy Shriner’s, mindlessly scurrying to oblivion.
Do you own the land that you hunt bear on? Of course not. That is why you hate Quimby because she can afford to purchase land to do what she wants with.
RQ hjas the same rights to purchase land and stop people from using it as you and I have.
She has NO RIGHT to invite the federal government to take over her land and begin the process of locking up the entire northern forest for the preservationist plans of the environazi industry.
Thank you , Roxanne.
Actually the way I understand it the state of Maine produces more tons of pulp and paper than ever just with alot less labor and more production in fewer mills with better equiptment .One might blame exorbitant wage packages negotiated by crooked union thugs but that would be more an opinion than a fact.
CLOSE SKANK????????????? Oh, blasphemy ……..
“No decision needs to be immediately”-wouldn”t the school(s) that might be accepting these kids into their systems like a heads up as soon as possible so they could be ready? Parents are going to want a clear picture of what’s ahead for their children. Based on all the math in this story Schenk is going to close sooner rather than later.
The students have petitioned for this a couple of times and it seems that every time it is the adults that can’t get past the rivalry that was there when they were in school. This guy makes sense and lets hope that the adults listen to the kids.
Funny that some people from East Millinocket have the “I’m from the good side of the tracks” mentality. Who knew?
It is not as much East as it is Medway.
I think you’d be surprised. There are no friends of Millinocket on the East school board either from what I hear. You have the support of at least on Selectman though. Mr Marston should just run for the Millinocket town council, he lives just as close as David Cyr did to town, and he wants the same things Millinocket does. He’s a Mill-a-wanna-be.
just so you understand, 90% of East Millinocket lives as close to Millinocket as David Cyr did. Remember when you point the finger at others, you got 4 pointing back at you bub.
It is not past rivalry on Millinockets side.
Everybody thats left here has to have more kids…thats all folks. If you think your too old you can always adopt. Lets make some Babies!!!
You sound like a teacher looking for job security .
…and YOU sound like know-nothing who stereotypes teachers.
No , I am a teacher quite secure in my job !
This comes from a superintendent that told us last year that our only way to keep our school open was to close opal myrick and not even6 months later we are discussing closing the only school left in this town. The biggest employer of East Millinocket is Schenck High School. Maybe the school board should have thought of this years ago when there was money in the budget, but no they thought getting a new gym floor was more important and put the roof on the back burner. A town with no school is a dead town and will cause more drugs. There are to many parents that won’t travel there kids to another school for sports, music ect. then what will those kids do?? They will turn to drugs and other not so good things to help pass their days of school away. I say that our school is worth keeping and we as a community need to fight for it. Consolidation with Millinocket, yea right, that has been being talked about for many years and it will never happen..why you ask, probably because the parents have more of a problem with it then the kids do and will never allow consolidation. It is funny that we had a meeting about this topic and then come to find out, the boards have already been in talks with Lincoln and such, why not make Schenck a K-12 school??? Because Medway doesn’t want to lose their students either. I think we need to stand together as a community and keep our schools. The teachers care about our kids and will do whatever it takes to make it all work at our school….
Really?? Parents won’t drive kids to other towns to play sports… It happens all over the state and it will happen in your town too as long as the parents have their kids interests in mind. If you think you should consolidate with Stearns the get behind it and stop focusing on the past and the status quo.
That is not true. Also have Lee Academy to consider.
You mean Lee Prep school and international school right???
if parents won’t take their kids 7 miles to activities then why would their consider Lee!
That ride is almost as bad as to Katahdin.
That is not true. We have Lee Academy to approach and also online programs to consider. Most other states have an online academy that is free for residents. Maine and East Millinocket better get with the program. Get rid of all these teachers they have and deal with the real world. Other towns do it we can too but it means drastically cutting the staff and farming out special ed kids.
If you really had a clue about education then you would understand this isnt about anything more than giving every child the ability to work for a living rather than collect a check from the government. Farming them out really? You wouldnt say that if it were you child. Just goes to prove your ingorance.
I don’t know what you are talking about but I was responding to lollipopaddict saying Lincoln doesnt’ want us. That is not true. I know plenty about education. I know that Stearns test scores are lower than ours. I know they are on monitor status with the state because they don’t meet the standard. The education that Stearns provides is sub standard and well below par, Schencks isn’t much better but it is better.
It is my children too. I live here and I had a special ed student in this school system. Yes farming them out, sending them to a school that will provide them with the best education not a sub standard one.
Again, where are your facts. Post the link on here where it says that Stearns test scores are lower than Schenck. Ya maybe by 4 points over the course of 4 categories but your still not meeting state average on anything!!!! Take a look at maine.gov, testing results. 2010-2011 grade 8 MEA, Medway School Department 846, Millinocket School Department 845. Congrats, that 1 point makes you WAY better educationally wise. Take a look at that same site, 2010 – 2011 grade 5 MEA, Medway 544, Millinocket 546. You’d sound smarter if you’d state facts not your unfounded opinions!!!!!!!!!!!!
duplicate post
The only way to keep any schools open last year was to consolidate under one roof. There was no guarantee made as to how long it could go on. Clark had barely been here a month when that was done based on the previous superintendent.
Can we get more drugs up here then we already have?
The gym floor has, to this day, not been done.
There are plenty of kids who don’t participate now because their parents aren’t involved. Won’t provide or get rides for their children. The children who are involved in extra and co curricular activities will continue to be the ones that aren’t won’t be. I can see lots of parents being ticked off that little Johnny doesn’t make the basket ball team.
One can only wonder how this latest manifestation of the current desperate local economic situation has spawned the locals incredible, wildly counterproductive recovery scenario.
Go hug your tree and eat granola.
And guide your birdwatchers.
If you have your way we’ll be graduating park rangers !
Well you could do worse thats for sure. Running away from the future and doing your own dreamworld works if your a Bill Gates or Warren Buffet type fat cat, but for us poor stiffs its a recipe for boundless heartache and futility.
Love it! Keep them coming. You really get under their skin with your comments.
Why aren’t more people talking about having the student’s go to Stearns which is just down the road? Never understood why East Millinocket and Millinocket had 2 different high schools anyway.
A shame that everyone can’t just be neighbors and friends. What a good example the adults could teach the children. Not only that it would save both towns on property taxes.
Because there have always been two mills there, and the locals have convinced themselves that there always will be. The rest of us sit back and watch what is unfolding and wondering why they can’t see it…..
It’s too bad you wouldn’t “just sit back”!
Or go back!
With a name like noparkforme you’re asking someone else to “just sit back”? Kind of funny.
I live in this area every day.
It’s my and my children and grandchildren’s future.
I’d rather not leave those decisions to someone who moved to Maine with their flat land attitudes.
Yeah – my crazy flat land notions, like not wasting money on duplicate services when the town can’t pay it’s bills, or advocating for the creation of a National Park in the middle of an area literally starving for economic growth and jobs.
I live here too. My children do as well, for the time being anyway.
I’d rather have a diverse economy then a bunch of close minded individuals making all the decisions with their ‘gimme’ attitudes. You know the ones who think they can run all over others land.
Agreed !
Let the people who live there decide. They may decide to close it, but insinuating people are stupid or blind because they don’t want it closed shows how little you know about the town or its people. Please stick to criticizing the people in Bangor.
Because these people have been able to make their own decisions, they are in a mess!!
What a ####### #######!
The problem with that approach is that it is costing the rest of us money.
Didn’t hear you complaining when the mills were running and that area was paying in a ton of money to state coffers, helping pay for the auditorium and taking care of more than it’s fair share.
You must be very young , there have not always been two mills there ! OOps , there I go again , commenting on another one of your unfounded posts.
There has been 2 mills since 1906.
correct Josey, out of fairness though, Millinocket’s mill has been shut down for some years now and East Millinockets mill is back up and running. The idea or running the East mill is because its in better condition and newer. Hhmm same idea of why people say send people to Stearns, newer facility and better condition. Its a good business decision for the the company owning the mill but not a good idea when it comes to students education……..
why send our students to Stearns when going a few more miles down the road they have twice as many choices? Better facility, better academics, better system that is more stable. Makes a whole lot more sense to me to send to Lincoln schools then Millinockets.
again, do some research bub, if you do you will find that your school failed to meet the state average on the MHSA testing in ALL 4 categories. Stearns on the other hand did meet the state average in atleast on category. So say what you want but when you put testing scores out there it becomes fact not opinion like you constantly state. You think your education is so much better but yet you fail on testing. Good job, have fun with Lincoln, if they will even take you…..
Hasn’t been two mills since 2008!
seems like its been a lot longer than that but you might be correct
There is two mills, they didnt disapear. One is not running.
There been two ther for over a hundred years.
I’m from the county, and live in the county. I also managed to spend many years “away” before settling here for good. You are spot on. The old rivalries don’t make much sense really. There are still plenty of them in northern Aroostook as well.
It has more to do with the differences in how the towns are run. One spends every dime they have and then some. The other has tried to live within its means. The bigger one, or perceived bigger one, would always be making the decisions for the little one. That can’t happen.
so with your agreement with Medway and Woodville, East Millinocket makes all the decisions because they are the bigger town with the school??? I dont believe thats how it works. If it does then you guys are dumb to allow that. No one town should have more say than the other no matter what. Same should happen if consolidation happens, no on town should have majority vote on anything, thats not working together.
I’ll tell you why,it’s a circus up there.
This is how it works. The adults of East Millinocket cant swallow their pride and send their children 8 miles down the road for school but you can send your youth 8 miles down the road to be part of a State championship performing arts program. Sounds kinda crazy if you ask me. The performing arts are good enough for your students but the school isn’t? For years the talk of consolidation has been talked about in the Katahdin Region. People from Stearns do not want to send their kids to a smaller (and now confirmed) school that is i need of major repairs. Call me crazy but i believe that would be a very good reason. Stearns has a bigger lunch room, bigger auditorium, bigger class rooms, bigger school, bigger gym. How about we ask the kids what they want, get input from the students and youth who would be most affected by the issue. You allow “adults” decide whats best for the students and what has that gotten you? A building in need of repairs. I know someone will say that Millinocket is financially bad, maybe so but we spend money to keep our school up to date. Go ahead and spend your 4 million to fix your high school then you’ll be worst off financially than the school you refuse to consolidate with. If not go ahead and keep your pride, send your students 20 miles away, probably is a better school. The numbers would tell you, 8 miles is shorter than 20.
You have a school building, with a brand new over priced boiler going in. Plop that in one hand. Now in the other hand plop you have NO AP CLASSES, you were on your last chance last summer with the accredidation people and you still haven’t fixed the problems. You have a school board that thinks money grows on trees. You have a Superintendent who has one hair brained idea after another… all costing 100,000’s in consulting fees, recruiters, etc. Right now you are paying the same bunch that didn’t produce Chinese students, to dig you up some Indian students. You don’t even learn from your obvious mistakes. You let the rest of the school board run off the only man that had any grasp of the true financial problems facing that school system. Now, you better get the school board to help you hold up that arm of yours!
there ya go, you finally started to state some facts. Now, in order to start consolidation you first need to find a school to consolidate into. Thats all i have been saying, we have the school. Once you have made the commitment to relocate to the building then you put services together that are the best. I have never ever once said that the education at Schenck is lesser than Stearns. In fact i have always stated that Schenck provides a better education. Thats why with the vision and quality education that Union 113 provides and the facility in Millinocket, you have a wonderful opportunity for the youth of the area to prosper, competing in state championships across the board. Its not about giving up what you have and doing as we do, its about taking the best from each community and providing the best opportunity for the youth, NOT WHATS BEST FOR THE ADULTS!!!!!!!
You’re right this is about what is best for the students of AOS 66. Believe me it would be much easier to send the students 8 miles up the road but why send them to a school that has less academically then we do? It isn’t up to AOS 66 to bring you a better education it is up to your town to do that. Make the school appealing academically, not promises of changes that might happen if we go that way. Prove you can do it. Then we can talk. You have a few years to make it happen but under your current board, with the current superintendent, that isn’t going to happen.
I thought the few students that they got was a pretty fine turnout. It takes a long time to start up these programs. FA or MCI didn’t start out with a 100 foreign students a year–they been working on it for more than a decade.
Send my child to a better school academically is much more important then sending them to a school with a good performing arts program. Isn’t that what this is all about EDUCATING our children? Of course I want a better education for my children but that isn’t going to happen at Stearns. Their test scores are worse than Schencks. I would rather see them go to a school that is doing better financially and academically. Call me crazy but that is more important then propping up Millinockets numbers.
Wheres your facts???? YOU DONT MEET STATE AVERAGE IN ANY CATEGORY OF STATE TESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All you have to do is stop running your mouth, post some facts and i would end. All you can do is continue rumors, make statements with no factual evidence backing it up.
Time for Medway to build a high school for Milinocket, East, Woodville and Katahdin. Right off I95 should work fine.
Why when you have a class A high school just down the road that can handle all of our kids and you want to spend how many millions to build a new one, makes no sense.
Why send AOS 66 students to a school that has nothing to offer academically? Makes much more sense to start over from scratch or go to Lincoln.
Merge or close Schenck.
If the kids want it, then the choice is obvious.
The kids opinions should be considered however, I dare say they would also opt for longer vacations !
Where did longer vacations come in?? I don’t recall anyone talking about kids voting on longer vacations. This is about polling the students, seeing where their heart lies, what would they want, consolidate with Stearns or go to Lincoln. If the adults of East are so in love with Lincoln then why dont you go there when you want McDonald’s, Hannafords, Rite-Aid, Dunkin Donuts or when you need to go the the hopsital. Many people have said that parents wont travel the 8 miles to transport kids but those same parents travel 8 miles when they want something that you don’t offer. Totally hypocritical!!!!!!!!
Do you really hear yourself? You don’t want people from East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville to patronize Millinocket businesses? Are you trying to permanently kill Millinocket?
you come here for your personal pleasures but when it comes to the youths pleasures and what the youth want it is not longer good for you…….
It isn’t about pleasure it is about EDUCATION, Millinocket hasn’t figured out how to provide one that meets the standard in years.
Hahahaha he eats in Medway nearly daily! And he calls us hypocrites!!
James really do you think anyone WANTS to be delivered via Ambulance to MRH? Like you have a choice if you go by ambulance NOT! And I’d much rather have Tim Horton’s donuts than day old Dunkin Donuts! If something is on sale at Rite Aid I usually have to end up in Lincoln’s Rite Aid anyways because the stock is gone in Millinocket. We don’t have to drive to Milli to go to Hannaford.. Lounsbury’s carries Hannaford products. One might ask why you drive the whole way to Medway to eat nearly every day!!
well i guess you’ve done your research now haven’t ya. Im not hiding behind a screen name, im not afraid to speak about this subject. Im glad you think Dunkin Donuts has day old donuts, if you do a little research on the subject, dunkin donuts makes their donuts each morning and throws them away at night. Lounsbury’s isnt bad at all, i never said it was but when you go into Hannafords at anytime you can see atleast a half dozen people who travel from East. Rite Aid is a joke in Millinocket, never said it wasnt. Now your last statement just shows how little you know about me. I drive the whole way to Medway to eat nearly every day???? Now where exactly do you see me everyday?? I think your making a statement that is totally false. Will you admit it, probably not……….
Any given day you drop by the Country Diner and chances are you will see at least 2 people from Millinocket if not more. Just last week I walked in and thought it was a reunion. There were at least 4 tables with folks from Millinocket.
You are really showing how numb you are. I have never said that anything about Medway or East Millinocket about being acceptable for Millinocket except for the conditions of your schools. Ya know, the exact article that we are posting under. On the other hand you have repeatedly bashed Millinocket and what it has. Let me restate this for you so you dont have to go back re-read what i posted. In my opinion Schenck provides a better education than Stearns does, even if the testing scores and rate of students on the honor roll is the same. The facts i stated is that Stearns High School needs no repairs, its a bigger, newer facility. You really need to stop thinking you have such a better education and better students. I have yet to see you post anything with fact backing it up. Its all about you spouting off at the gums with opinions.
You say that jokingly, but the fact is most of us do. In lincoln you can go to Walmart, Tim Hortons buy appliances ,Sears, furniture and so on. Lincoln is the new Millinocket.
indeed it is. I will not dispute that Lincoln is the hot spot these days.
What’s to talk about? Merge with Stearns.
On a related but seperate note, Stearns must be like a ghost town. Under 200 students in that place? I went to FA many years ago and during my first trip to Stearns I remember the fact that I couldn’t believe the size of the gym, I am guessing the school is equally as big, no? The funny/sad thing is that at the time I went 15-20 years ago they had about 400 students and the place still seemed overly big, that’s when my dad filled me in that they use to have nearly 700-900 students, is that correct? Man how the times have changed.
They should have merged years ago but they are philistine in their pea brains.In the first graduating class of the new Stearns we had 300 something seniors I think.
yes that is correct
BDN just ran a story about a new law meant to ease the path for towns wanting to leave RSU’s. I had a very nice discussion with sassyfraz(?) about how school consolidation was meant to save money but the “local control” advocates always stymie such efforts. It will be interesting to see if the folks from East Millinocket choose to raise taxes to keep a local school or decide to consolidate.
We can’t raise taxes that is the crux of the problem. The selectmen tied our hands with the agreement they said yes to with the new mill owners. Can’t raise taxes for 10 years. Can’t decrease the value of the mill according to state law. So we are in a bit of trouble over this mess that Scally and the like got us into.
This would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. Grown men and women arguing like little children. It’s been going on for years and from the looks of it it isn’t going to stop anytime soon. I suppose they’ll be still flapping their gums long after their teeth have fallen out…soooo sad. No one is thinking of their childrens future…except me. I’m moving out of this god forsaken place and educating my children where people value such things.
It is too bad that the rest of the Millinocket does not think this way, instead thinking they are owed or entitled to mentality!!
Sad but true!
Smart move. Safe journey out of there, and good luck. The small town and small minded attitudes are never going to change. One day everyone will wake up and wonder what the heck happened.
I think Tri-Town High has a nice ring to it ! Also noticed that an engineering firm estimated the repairs to the school but the superintendent ( who must be a trained engineer ) says that the school only needs half of it. He’s either a real bargain for the money or isn’t a great thinker.
simple consolidate with stearns
$4 million in repairs in 3 years? Why not start paying for that now instead of one big charge in 3 years.
And most who say send them to Millinocket are probably Millinocket residences who need the tutition money that East, Medway and Woodville would give them.
As suggested on here, they should look into a regional high school centrally located between all the involved towns.
You make some good points. Your forgetting is that there isn’t the money in the area to build a regional high school between the towns. Second, why would you build a regional high school that would be the same size as Stearns or smaller? I have not kids in the system nor do i care about tuition money from any other town. I speak out of common sense for the region. Why build when you already have it, why go 20 miles when you can go 8. If Union 113 had a better facility i would be saying send Stearns down there but they dont. That’s a fact!!!!!
Interestingly, the main motivating factor of how it will come to pass that the Schenck kids will got to Stearns (aside from Stearns now finally having room for them) is that football will be vastly improved if Stearns can absorb the Schenck kids. Football is a very important topic in Millinocket, and they have been hating themselves for several years now at how bad they have become. Schenck is just the shot they need.
They would have one of the best Basketball and baseball teams as well.
No mention of soccer though. All about what Millinocket wants. Notice that? I did and so does everyone else that lives down here.
hmm bad would mean that 2 years ago we went to the states championship with the smallest school in the state. Interesting.
Well, I might add that Stearns United Harmony Show Choir – High School and also Middle School placed first in competition the last two years –
hmmm or the fact the last two years Stearns High School and Millinocket Middle School have both placed first in competition for Show Choir – they are known as United Harmony Show Choir – (mostly students from Stearns, but also from Schenck, & Medway) anyway, for some reason East Millinocket and Medway parents drive their children almost daily for 3-4 months to Millinocket for rehearsal and feel it is O.K. to sing, dance and act together but Schenck wants nothing to do with sports programs or academics together ….
Dude – in Class C. To the hardcore Stearns football fans of old, going to a class C state championship game is like going to a class-A JV exhibition game.
so Schenck winning a state title a few years ago was like winning the little pro basketaball championship?? No i dont think so. No matter what class you are in, making it to the states is an accomplishment win or lose. The reason you are classed is to compete with schools of equal size. Obviously a school with 192 students cant play class A football.
This has been a long time coming. We all could see the writing on the wall twenty years ago. Stearns is in the same boat Schenck is in just our schools are in a little better shape. If the mills still employed all those people of years past we wouldnt even be talking about this. It would be worth it to put the money back into the school to get it fixed. We would have the enrollments and a need for both high schools. But we dont. The kids are not coming back and Great Northern paper Company of old is not coming back either. Its to bad what has happened to the area, and its to bad are communities have had to change so much, but the whole world is changing. Not just Millinocket and East Milllinocket. Just look around our state. Livermore falls and Jay High School have combined schools just last year and it works. Look at Rumford and Mexico years ago. No one wants to see Schenck High School go away. Or Stearns for that matter. But what Quenten Clark said just makes sense. As hard as it is to swallow it, it’s going to happen sooner or later.
18 yrs ago stearns went through major structural upgrades best of everything seams a shame not to use the facilities to the utmost ,then again not my town so its not my bizness.Done alot of work up there and know that most folks were always real good to us .My best to all related communities.
From what I hear East isn’t too happy with Medway and their lack of action on certain situations. Pretty soon Medway Middle is going to be looking to recruit if parents keep pulling their kids out of school there.
My kids played soccer, I forgot to add it. Tennis and X country and Softball too, it would be better all around. If we could just agree on school colors and Mascot, that is what everyone is worried about isn’t it?
I couldnt agree with you more on this one. I feel everyone is afraid that by consolidation where ever they go that is the name they will take. I dont think that is right at all. No way Stearns should keep their name or Schenck with theirs no matter what. My personal opinion would be to use the area, Katahdin is already taken but what about this, Baxter Regional High School? I joke about this one but we keep blue and you keep your white ahaha jk. The colors are minor the mascot is minor but the name is HUGE!!!!