PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – The Northern Maine Fair & Music Festival recently concluded another successful year, and the majority of community summer celebrations have wrapped up, as well, which can only mean one thing – back to school.
For the last few weeks, parents have been purchasing everything from backpacks to notebook paper helping get everything their child needs for the start of the 2010-11 academic year.
According to JoAnn Cowan, human resource manager at Kmart in Presque Isle, back-to-school sales have been going very well.
“The merchandise is flowing in and the fashions are awesome; there are some really nice fashions going back to school,” she said. “We’ve had some really good sales on shoes … buy one get one 50 percent off, and beyond that, the regular school supplies are also doing really well this year.
“We’ve seen a few early shoppers, but primarily within the last three weeks it’s really picked up,” said Cowan. “We’ve seen parents bring their children in, but a lot of college students shop here also.”
Classes have already resumed in Mars Hill and Washburn. Students at both the Fort Street Elementary School and Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School returned Monday, while students at the David J. Lyon Washburn District Elementary School and Washburn District High School went back Tuesday.
Presque Isle High School, as well as Easton Elementary School and Easton Junior-Senior High School resume today.
Following are the start dates for the remaining central Aroostook county schools:
• Wednesday, Aug. 25: Fort Fairfield Elementary School and Fort Fairfield Junior-Senior High School.
• Tuesday, Aug. 31: Cornerstone Christian Academy.
• Wednesday, Sept. 1: Mapleton Elementary School, Pine Street Elementary School, Zippel Elementary School and Presque Isle Middle School.
• Wednesday, Sept. 8: Ashland District School (pre-K to grade 12).
The fall semester at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Northern Maine Community College begins Monday, Aug. 30.
