SAD 1 enrollment nearly unchanged
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Enrollment in SAD 1 is virtually unchanged from a year ago.
According to figures released at the Oct. 8 board meeting, which was held at Mapleton Elementary School, there were 1,850 students attending SAD 1 schools as of Sept. 30. One year ago, that number was 1,853.
“We’re down three from a year ago,” said Superintendent Gehrig Johnson, “so we’re very close to where we were.”
There are currently 879 students enrolled at the elementary level, 401 at Presque Isle Middle School, and 570 at Presque Isle High School.
“There have been some shifts from last year to this year,” said Johnson. “The high school is up 14 students from a year ago, and the middle school is down by 34 students. That’s attributed to more eighth-graders moving on to the high school and a smaller sixth-grade class coming in to PIMS.
“Mapleton is up 16 students (223 presently enrolled), Zippel Elementary School is up three (293 students), and Pine Street Elementary School is down two students (363 enrolled),” he said. “However, with a total of 73 pre-kindergartners at Pine Street, we added a half-time teacher. We had nine children on a waiting list, which necessitated the addition of another class.”
Overall, enrollment has been declining over the last 20 years.
Five years ago (2009) there were 2,006 students enrolled in the district and in 2004 there were 2,092.
Also at the October board meeting, directors:
• Approved Lucy Richard, board chair, as the delegate for the Maine School Management Association fall conference.
• Were notified that, due to a confirmed case of a child with the enterovirus D68 infection in York County, the district is stepping up its disinfection efforts.
“The custodians are cleaning the high traffic surfaces more frequently,” said Johnson. “There is an added cost to this — in terms of man hours — but we think it’s a needed safety precaution.”
According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms may initially look like the common cold, with a fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough and muscle aches. More severe symptoms include difficulty in breathing and/or wheezing in children with a history of respiratory problems.
There is no vaccine for EV-D68 and it is highly contagious. Officials recommend that both children and adults who are experiencing cold-like symptoms stay home to prevent the potential spread of the illness. They indicate that washing hands several times a day with soap and water is the key to prevention.
• Viewed a slide show and heard from Johnson and PIHS Principal Ben Greenlaw who, along with Business Manager Charles Anderson, recently returned from a 10-day trip to China. While there they visited Beijing, Nanning and Che-ching where they consulted with Chinese school officials on the establishment of their international schools.
“Laying this ground work in China will pay back large financial dividends to SAD 1,” said Johnson. “Each Chinese student enrolled in their international schools brings $400 per year in revenue to SAD 1.”
Johnson also reminded board members they would soon need to decide how many Chinese students they would like to have attend PIHS in 2015. Currently, six students are attending generating $55,000 in net profit to the district.
• Approved Maranda Donovan as a half-time pre-K teacher at Pine Street Elementary School.
The next SAD 1 board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 at Zippel Elementary School.
