Local schools deemed efficient
PRESQUE ISLE — It is a long-standing tradition that schools across Maine compete with one another in many sports, band, drama and various academic club competitions, but rarely are Maine schools stacked up against each other to identify the higher academically performing schools and those schools that are run efficiently.
A recently completed research project has done just that and SAD 1 Superintendent Gehrig Johnson is beaming with pride that three district schools — Presque Isle High School, Zippel Elementary School and Mapleton Elementary School — have all been identified as among Maine’s high performing, efficient schools. Pine Street Elementary School’s K-2 students were not tested, but as a feeder school to Zippel, they share Zippel’s distinction.
More than two years ago the Legislature asked the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, or MEPRI, headed by David Silvernail at the University of Southern Maine, to develop a set of metrics to study school performance. In order to determine Maine schools that are high performing and efficient, MEPRI spent two years studying standardized test scores, graduation rates, per pupil expenditures and other demographic information for 427 schools in Maine.
Although the full report is not expected to be presented to the Education Committee of the Legislature until May, the nine high schools that were designated high performing and efficient have been notified of the results.
PIHS is one of nine high schools, among the 105 studied, that were designated as both high performing and efficient. Hampden Academy was the only other high school designated in eastern Maine.
The remaining seven are all located in Kennebec and York counties. Mapleton Elementary School and Zippel Elementary School were also among 54 elementary schools selected out of Maine’s 229 K-5 elementary schools.
“We know we have good schools,” said Johnson, “but it is rewarding to have that validated by this third party independent study. I am especially proud that while our schools in SAD 1 are among Maine’s higher performing schools academically, we have also been identified as ‘efficient’ meaning we run schools in a financially frugal manner.
“That is important for our communities to know during these very tight financial times when the public demands, and rightfully so, that they are getting the best bang for their buck from their schools,” he said. “This study answers that question with third party objective data. We are proud to be part of this group of high performing, efficient schools who will be identified to the Legislature in the coming weeks.”
Lucy Richard, SAD 1 School Board chair, agreed.
“Our athletic, band and drama programs have received much recognition over the years. I am pleased that our academic programs are also receiving high marks,” she said.
“Our being named among the high performing schools in the state is special — but also being named financially efficient is something we’re extremely proud of.”
