TRENTON, Maine — The Acadia Christian School, a private school that serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, will not be opening for the 2014-15 school year because of lack of finances, according to John Linnehan Jr., head of the Good News Center, which includes the school.
The school has been operating in the red each year since it opened but has been able to balance its budget by relying on donations, according to a prepared statement dated Aug. 19.
In June, Linnehan decided operating that way was no longer sustainable and, “reluctantly, in a last ditch effort to balance the budget, be good financial stewards and finally begin to operate in a financially responsible manner, the teachers were asked to take a reduction in their salaries,” the statement said.
Though several teachers agreed to continue to work with the reduced salary others did not. In the end, the school did not have enough teachers to keep its doors open.
The school’s furniture, supplies and curriculum are all for sale, the statement said.
Linnehan could not be reached late Friday afternoon. The Ellsworth American reported that about 20 students were enrolled this fall.
