Special to The Star-Herald
Presque Isle Middle School, originally known as Skyway, opened its doors in 1963 with Ken Marks as its first principal. Marks had been principal at Pine Street School three years hence.
Skyway students came mainly from Mapleton, Chapman, Castle Hill, base housing and students who lived west of the Presque Isle Stream. The school contained the traditional sixth, seventh and eighth grades, and from 1965 to 1967 also included the ninth grade. The school featured 20 classrooms and received 560 students.
In 2003, a declining student enrollment was recognized and school officials thought it might be beneficial to merge Skyway and Cunningham schools. Rather than to erect a new school to accommodate the students from the two schools, it was decided by the SAD 1 board of directors to close Cunningham School and to add a wing onto the existing Skyway. This would save taxpayers many millions of dollars ($5.3 million versus $16 million) and, besides, it would have taken 10-15 years waiting for funds for a new facility. Cunningham School was closed for good in the spring of 2005.
In the fall of 2005, the two schools became one and Skyway School was renamed Presque Isle Middle School. Larry Fox was named the school’s new principal having been the principal of Cunningham School at the time of its closing.
