ROCKLAND, Maine — The Rockland-area school district is working to expand its academic programs on two fronts — from the youngest to the most senior students.
The Regional School Unit 13 Board voted unanimously on Nov. 6 to apply for a federal grant through the Maine Department of Education to pay for the startup of a pre-kindergarten program. The district is seeking $1 million combined over the next four years.
In addition, the board voted to support the creation of a Bridge program that would allow up to 20 high school juniors and seniors to take a year’s worth of college classes at minimal expenses to the students.
In regard to the pre-kindergarten program, RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said he is a strong supporter. He maintains that this program reduces the number of students needing to take special education programs, and improves overall academic performance for youngsters.
“I’m passionate about this program,” McDonald said. “This is one of the best ways to improve student achievement.”
If the district gets the grant, the program would start next fall with three classes of 16 4-year-old students. That would increase over the next three years by one classroom in each year.
He said the grant would cover the startup costs of hiring three teachers, paying for supplies and transportation. In the ensuing years, state subsidies for the increasing number of students would cover the cost of the program.
McDonald said he learned about a week before the school board meeting that the state was applying for a federal grant to support pre-kindergarten programs and contacted the state about RSU 13 being one of the grant recipients.
“I was told it was by invitation only and I told them I wanted us invited,” McDonald said.
Over the next few days leading up to the Nov. 6 board meeting, he organized a meeting between the state education department, Head Start, Broadreach Family and Community Services to put together a plan to submit to the state. The board’s approval allowed the district to meet the deadline. The superintendent said a decision on the grant is expected in December.
The board also was unanimous in its support for the start up of the Bridge program that will allow up to 20 students from Oceanside High School East in Rockland to take courses to earn up to 25 college credits during their final two years of high school.
“This is a no brainer,” said board member Sally Carleton of Owls Head.
Mid-Coast School of Technology Director Beth Fisher said that the Oceanside students would spend half their academic day taking the college courses and the other half, technology courses at the vocational school.
The 20 students would take courses from teachers certified by the University of Maine but otherwise would fully participate in the high school experience, she told the board. The teachers would likely be from the existing staff but they would need to be approved by the university.
The cost to the students would be about $500 per year. Fisher said it is up to the individual school district — RSU 13 in this case — to decide whether to pay for the costs of textbooks. She said the RSU 40 Board that oversees Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro agreed to pay for textbooks for students who are participating in that school’s Bridge program, which started this fall.
The goal of the program is to get more high school students interested in attending college.