LIMESTONE, Maine — As part of a regularly occurring series of meetings between the Limestone Select Board and various town departments, newly appointed Maine School of Science and Mathematics Director David Pearson spoke Oct. 17 about his plans to ensure a quality education and learning environment for students.
The new director pointed out some issues with the aging magnet high school facilities and raised concerns among those present about school administrators possibly considering moving the school out of Limestone and even Aroostook.
Pearson, who hails from Worcestershire, England, brings no shortage of experience with him to the residential magnet high school, including service as president and CEO of the Carson Long Military Academy as well as over a decade as a history teacher, academic dean, and assistant headmaster at Kents Hill School in Maine.
The new director also spent 12 years serving as an infantry officer, including active duty tours in Northern Ireland. He holds two master’s and one bachelor’s degree, and is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and British Army Staff College.
Pearson said he did not prepare a speech, and began his presentation by telling the board Wednesday that the “Army is one of the fastest roads to self-improvement,” and that his training ultimately motivated him to move to the United States and pursue a career in education.
He also told town officials that the MSSM board brought him on to “look at the future of the school.”
Over the last three months, Pearson estimated that he had driven roughly 5,000 miles throughout Maine meeting with numerous educational boards and constituent groups looking at creating new opportunities in regards to MSSM’s future.
He commended MSSM’s diverse student body, which contains students from Russia, Ukraine, China, Italy, and South Korea.
“We have an eclectic, diverse, cosmopolitan environment,” he said, adding that while the school has a “symbiotic relationship” with Limestone, there are many challenges moving forward in terms of the quality of the facility.
He acknowledged that while the school excels in high quality education, boasting exceptional SAT and ACT scores, the environment itself should ideally match those standards.
“I’ve just invested $70,000 in new pumps for the eye wash station,” he said. “You need these to teach chemistry effectively.”
In order to move into the future, Pearson said he is looking to collaborate with a team of educators, officials, and students across the state.
“I have banned the word committee,” he said. “I don’t want people sitting around talking and not doing anything. I want teams, and guess what; students are on those teams. They’re the bread and butter. They’re important and their voices are important. Strategic planning now is imperative.”
The executive director reminded the board that it’s “not the strongest who survive,” but those who are “most adaptable to change.”
“We had red uniforms,” he said, citing his country’s role in the revolutionary war. “We marched in straight lines and got shot to pieces, but we’re agile, adaptable, and we punch above our weight. We haven’t abandoned our traditions. We’ve just evolved.”
When a resident suggested the possibility of seeking state funding for renovations and improvements to the school, Pearson described the situation as between “a rock and a hard place,” and said the outcome of that endeavor would ultimately depend on how serious Maine is about its magnet school.
He said he does plan to seek additional funding for the school, and to start “rattling the tin.”
“You’ll see me on the street corner,” he joked. “We’re going to do everything we can.”
He also acknowledged that Maine is facing some “real challenges in industry and business,” and told all in attendance that he looks forward to collaborating with the town and that he will maintain an open door policy with no hidden agenda. He also stressed that he will always “call it the way it is.”
Selectman Chris Durepo commended Pearson for raising awareness, adding that he is disappointed that Pearson “doesn’t speak of a future here.”
“I’ve never heard you say we could have a beautiful facility here,” said Durepo. “You always start by talking about southern Maine and how that’s where our population is.”
Pearson said this was very deliberate, and that it would be disingenuous to mislead the people of Limestone, Orono, or UMPI for that matter, into thinking that MSSM has a clear plan of a future in a specific location at this point.
“My interest is the school,” he said, “just like your interest is the town. I can’t be held hostage to an agenda; I have to be fair to everybody.”
Pearson acknowledged the beauty of rural Limestone but also that their current location is not without its issues.
“We need LED lighting, and different mood lighting,” he said. “We don’t have a multimedia room where you can bring people together.”
Water that flooded into the school library earlier this year, according to Pearson, has created a ridge in the library that bows in the middle as well as stains on the pillars. These issues pose a significant challenge for Pearson as he meets with parents of potential students.
“I can’t sell the school on the facility when I show parents around. I have to say, ‘Close your eyes,’” he joked. “‘I have a great faculty and a really great program.’”
He said he can only sell parents on the quality of the faculty and students for so long “until the HVAC stops working,” and that MSSM faces several challenges in terms of competing with the resources of other private schools.
Limestone resident Irma LaBreck emphasized that Limestone is a town where parents can feel assured that their children are safe, whereas a larger city in Maine would cause her, as a parent, to worry about the well-being of her children.
“I”ve talked to many MSSM parents and they feel like they can sleep at night, because they know their kids aren’t going to be on the street in the middle of a big city,” LaBreck said. “I meet kids on the street here and they all feel safe saying, ‘Hi.’ They become part of a family here.”
Pearson agreed with the sentiment of Limestone’s safety, adding that educators across the world are all equally dedicated in keeping their students safe.
Interim Town Manager Tom Stevens asked if there is anything the board could specifically do to maintain a positive relationship with the school, and Pearson listed numerous symbiotic methods in which the two entities can assist one another.
“When it snows up here,” he said. “The boys go up and shovel driveways without even being asked.”
He added that the “number one thing we look forward to is creating a realistic facilities plan, not a knee-jerk reaction plan.”
He said this plan should include replacing the expired pool liner, which “should have been in the budget ten years ago,” replacing the roof, and filling up potholes in the parking lot. The director also emphasized the importance of community collaboration and integration during the school-hosted events.
Pearson concluded by telling attendants that “there is a lot going on” though he has “only been around for a couple months.”
“My door is always open to anyone at any time,” he said. “If you have any questions or thoughts, I’m always there to listen.”
