By Scott Mitchell Johnson Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — There are two serious challenges facing SAD 1 — declining enrollment and a loss of $2.5 million in revenue in the last five years. However, the district is trying to take a proactive approach in dealing with these hurdles; one of its approaches is its growing Chinese initiative. At the Nov. 20 board meeting, Superintendent Gehrig Johnson shared with directors that the China initiative is a three-prong effort.
“We want to increase diversity at Presque Isle High School, which is currently approximately 1 percent,” he said. “Presently PIHS is one of the least diverse schools in the state of Maine, and Maine is one of the least diverse states in the United States.”
The second prong is accepting foreign tuition students at PIHS, which will increase the revenue stream into SAD 1.
“SAD 1 is expecting between five and 10 students from China in September 2014,” said Johnson, noting that the district has 275 more empty student seats than it did just 10 years ago. “These tuition students will pay approximately $30,000 each for the 2014-15 school year. This will generate between $50,000 and $100,000 in net income to SAD 1, and another $100,000 to $200,000 to the local economy.”
The third prong of the initiative is increasing the revenue stream into SAD 1 by participating in international schools in China.
“One Presque Isle international school, Shengli No. 1 High School in Dongying, China, is now up and operating, and there are eight students attending,” Johnson said. “Three more international schools are scheduled to start in the fall of 2014. SAD 1 will receive a percentage of the tuition on a per-pupil basis. We’re estimating it to be between $750 to $1,000 per student, and the revenue to the district has the potential to be significant in future years.”
Johnson and Business Manager Charles Anderson traveled to Beijing for the second time Oct. 18 where they participated in opening ceremonies at a new Presque Isle International School in Dongying, and visited with teachers, students and parents in the program. With all expenses being paid by their Chinese hosts, they logged 24,000 miles in eight days visiting schools in Dongying, Tangshan, Quijing and Nanning, all cities with populations between three and five million.
According to the agreement, the joint experimental program’s goal is to learn from the philosophy, academic systems and management of an American high school, and prepare students for innovation, critical thinking and international communication.
The unique agreement was signed in 2011. PIHS students will soon be able to spend a semester in China, if they choose.
At the November board meeting, Johnson and Anderson presented a brief slide show of pictures taken during their recent China visit.
Also at the meeting, directors were notified that PIHS juniors did very well on their SATs, which were taken in May.
“The SAT is one barometer communities use to determine how well students are achieving,” said Johnson. “Everyone pays attention to the results, as many colleges consider them during the college admission process.
“This year PIHS did particularly well,” he said. “Of the 126 high schools in Maine that took the SAT, we ranked 18.”
SAT scores are divided into four categories, and the majority of PIHS students were proficient in three of them. In critical reading, the statewide average was 49 percent, while at PIHS the average was 58 percent. In mathematics, results were 48 percent (statewide) and 61 percent (locally). In science, the state average was 41 percent proficient, while PIHS students were at 47 percent. In writing, however, the state average was 44 percent, while locally 43 percent of the students tested at the proficient level.
“All in all this group of students did very well,” said Johnson. “In fact, our juniors had the highest cumulative score north of Bangor, which is a compliment to both students, the teachers and parents who support them.”
Directors were also given some basic information by Curriculum Director Larry Fox and Educational Consultant and Adult Ed Director Terry Wood on proficiency-based learning, which is a new education model promoted by the Maine Department of Education.
According to the DOE’s website, the general goal of proficiency-based learning is to “ensure that students acquire the knowledge and skills that are deemed to be essential to success in school, higher education, careers and adult life. If students struggle to meet minimum expected standards, they receive additional instruction, practice time and academic support to help them achieve proficiency, but they do not progress in their education until expected standards are met.”
The new graduation requirements, which are still being determined by state and local officials, will be in effect in 2018.
The next regular board meeting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the board conference room at PIHS.
