Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Though still early into the 2009-10 school year, current enrollment numbers are down in SAD 1.
At the Sept. 16 board meeting, Superintendent Gehrig Johnson informed directors that as of Sept. 9, there were 2,009 students attending SAD 1 schools. “That’s a reduction of 70 students compared to this time last year,” he said. “That represents a decrease of about 3 percent.
“Basically this is a snapshot of the enrollment on Sept. 9,” said Johnson. “With a school population of over 2,000, it changes every day.”
The two biggest grade level decreases are both at Presque Isle High School. There are 18 fewer freshmen and 24 less juniors than at this time a year ago.
“We’re down 54 students at the high school,” said Johnson. “That’s a significant reduction. However, what’s important to note is that 51 were transfers out of the district, and 23 of those were transfers out of state. Almost half moved out of state with their parents, so one could conclude that this may be economy driven.”
At present, there are 585 students enrolled at PIHS, 443 at the Presque Isle Middle School, 212 at Mapleton Elementary School, 357 at Pine Street Elementary School, 349 at Zippel Elementary School, and 63 at the Learning Center.
There are also 107 children enrolled in the district’s pre-kindergarten program.
Overall, enrollment has been declining over the last several years.
In 1995, 2,291 students were enrolled in the district; 2,230 in 2000; and 2,093 in 2005.
“For the last decade and beyond,” Johnson said, “we’ve been in a steady decline of about 1 percent a year. That’s been the pattern for much of Aroostook County.”
Enrollment data will again be collected Oct. 1.
In an unusually close 7-6 vote, SAD 1 directors approved changes to a policy regarding non-resident tuition requests. In the course of a year, the district receives many tuition requests from non-resident parents.
Approved requests will now be charged slightly higher fees. Non-resident parent-initiated requests will be set at $1,000 per student, up from $970 per family, while SAD 1 non-resident employees will be charged $500, up from $485 to send their children to SAD 1. A new category – requests initiated by sending school districts – will be $2,500 per student.
Stated tuition fees pertain to basic education services only. All additional support services (special education) over and above the basic education cost will be paid by the sending district or non-resident parent. Tuition payments are to be paid in advance on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.
“District-initiated non-resident requests is a new category,” said Johnson. “For example, for a Washburn student enrolled in SAD 45, Washburn receives from the state x amount of dollars for each student. If a particular student’s parents approach SAD 1 for admission, and we accept them, that money stops flowing to SAD 45, but if SAD 45 requests that the student go to SAD 1, SAD 45 would pay the tuition, which is now $2,500 and SAD 45 would then count them as a resident student.
“There is sometimes a financial benefit to school districts that initiate tuition transfer requests,” he said, “depending on what the receiving district charges.”
During the September meeting, Johnson also shared with directors a recent conversation he had with Det. Sgt. Wayne Selfridge of the Presque Isle Police Department regarding the city’s elimination of school crossing guards.
City officials had earlier decided to eliminate the service they had been providing for over 40 years citing budgetary constraints, but entertained the school board’s request to reconsider their position. The matter was further discussed at the council’s Sept. 9 meeting, but – in the end – councilors maintained it was a school issue rather than a municipal one and suggested that SAD 1 explore providing the crossing guard service.
“We’re in the beginning of a budget cycle,” said Johnson, “and school crossing guards were not built into our budget. However, in a recent conversation with Wayne Selfridge and Chief Naldo Gagnon, the police department agreed to increase its presence on Griffin Street (in the area of the high school and Zippel Elementary School) as well as Pine Street Elementary School each morning and after school. That doesn’t mean they will park a cruiser there, but I think that increased presence will help alleviate and calm some parents’ fears.”
The city is also ordering additional signage to be placed at the crosswalks, while Johnson will look into the possibility of placing a colorful, traffic safety sign in the identified areas, as well.
Also at the meeting, directors:
• Were notified that board member Amy Billings has recently resigned.
• Hired Amy Spinning as half-time kindergarten and half-time pre-kindergarten teacher at Pine Street Elementary School, and Heather Johnston as a science teacher at Presque Isle Middle School.
“After four months of employee transfers, recruitment, and hiring,” Johnson said, “we’re now at full strength and ready to move on with the school year.”
The next SAD 1 board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Mapleton Elementary School.
