District to launch after-school program
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – SAD 1 is preparing to launch an after-school program that will help struggling students hone their learning skills in reading and math.
According to Ellen Schneider, assistant superintendent, the program will be paid for with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
“These funds are specific only to Title I and must be used for a very specific purpose,” she told directors at last Wednesday’s board meeting. “We spent the past year looking at how we could use the funds … something the state would accept so that we could move forward.
“What we came up with is an after-school program that would be for those students who are identified as meeting Title I guidelines … those are the kids who work a year to a year-and-a-half below grade level in reading and/or math,” said Schneider.
The program is expected to run three days a week from 3-4:30 p.m.
“It will be based at the three elementary schools because that’s where our Title I schools are,” Schneider said. “Snacks and busing will be provided.
“This is not a tutorial or a homework program,” she said. “We really wanted a program that was skills based to improve reading and math skills for our students, and we wanted them to use alternative methods and materials rather than those being used during the school day.”
Currently six certified teachers and two alternatives have expressed an interest in the after-school program.
“After the kids are identified as Title I in the fall,” said Schneider, “we’ll send a letter home encouraging parents to sign their child up for the program and we’ll go from there.”
Mapleton Elementary School Principal Dan Duprey will act as the site coordinator, and the program is expected to be held from mid-fall to early spring.
“Likely this is a one-year only program,” said Schneider. “We have those stimulus funds and once they’re gone – unless something happens – we won’t be receiving more.”
Also at the July 14 board meeting, directors were notified of the following staff transfers – June Bagley from fourth-grade teacher at Zippel Elementary School to fifth grade at Zippel; Erin Hoffses from Title I teacher at Presque Isle Middle School to language arts teacher at PIMS; and Amy Spinning from half-time pre-K and half-time kindergarten teacher at Pine Street Elementary School to grade four at Zippel.
Four new hires were also approved by the board. Rosalie Sullivan was hired as an English teacher at Presque Isle High School, Leah Gagnon is the new special education teacher (ED room) at PIMS, Julie Savage will teach kindergarten for one year only at Mapleton Elementary School, and Benjamin Nason has been hired as the district-wide technology integrator.
In addition, directors approved the bids of Garelick Farms and LePage Bakeries to provide dairy and bread products, respectively, and accepted the resignation of seventh-grade teacher Wendi Malenfant, who has accepted an administrative position with the Easton School Department.
The next SAD 1 board meeting will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11 in the board conference room at PIHS.
