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- Feed Preview Schools and Education - Portland Press Herald
Air quality, mold specialist cites ‘chronic problem’ at Mexico middle school
Engineer estimates it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the school safe.
Southern Maine voters give mixed response to school bond projects
No community passed or failed all of the bonds on their ballots. Cape Elizabeth, Gray-New Gloucester and South Portland all rejected major school construction bonds while supporting smaller ones,...
Cape Elizabeth rejects $94.7 million school project
The 51% to 49% vote against underscores how divisive the new school debate has been in town in recent years.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/11/06/cape-elizabeth-rejects-94-7-million-school-project/
Portland school board OKs $500,000 contract to study retirement issues
The contract with accounting firm BerryDunn will include a person-by-person review of Portland Public Schools employees' retirement accounts to identify errors.
UMaine’s ‘Factory of the Future’ aims to tackle the housing crisis with 3D printing
Construction is underway on a 50,000-square-foot building in Orono that will house the university's massive 3D printers and train students to produce houses, boats, wind turbine molds and more.
UMaine System receives 3 new bids for Hutchinson Center in Belfast
The university system rescinded an offer to sell the building to a church earlier this year, citing shortcomings in the initial request for proposals' criteria.
At Maine’s college campuses, young voters cite key issues in the national election
Among the top issues driving some young voters interviewed at campuses this week were reproductive rights, climate change and equality.
Winslow considers demolishing former junior high, but environmental cleanup must come first
The town will soon begin accepting bids to demolish the nearly 100-year-old schoolhouse, but hundreds of thousands of dollars must first be spent to remove oil and asbestos from the building.
University of Maine System sees 3% enrollment increase after final tally
Following an October census, the system said there are more than 20,000 undergraduate students, and graduate enrollment has reached a record 4,965.
The presidential election looks a little different at this Arundel school
Students ages 4 to 14 at a homeschool collective in York County participate in an immersive lesson on elections every 4 years. On Wednesday, the 5 student candidates debated issues ranging from p...
Biddeford feasts for $7 million expansion of regional technical center
Officials cut the ribbon on a major extension to Biddeford's regional vocational school. The extension houses programs in culinary arts, hospitality, sports medicine, EMT training and plumbing.
RSU 21 school board member could face censure
Kirstin Shapiro is already facing recall following alleged misconduct, but she could be facing censure too.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/29/school-board-member-could-face-censure/
Francophone diplomats address Portland students about multilingual education
Ambassadors from France, Gabon and the Central African Republic visited Deering High School Friday to talk about French-speaking students in Portland, and how to support French language education...
UNE to offer Maine’s first doctoral program in social work
The University of New England will begin offering the fully online social work doctorate program this winter.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/24/une-to-offer-maines-first-doctorate-program-in-social-work/
Two liberal arts colleges in Maine see little change in diversity after end of affirmative action
The state's private colleges committed to building diverse student bodies despite the 2023 Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions. The first students affected by the ruling are ...
RSU 14 leader named Maine Assistant Superintendent of the Year
Christine Frost-Bertinet, assistant superintendent of the Windham and Raymond School District, won the award for her commitment to equity and community engagement.
Effort to recall RSU 21 school board member underway
The Arundel Select Board met Monday night to discuss a recall election date for Kirstin Shapiro.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/22/effort-to-recall-rsu-21-school-board-member-underway/
Maine’s community colleges see record fall enrollment
The Maine Community College System had 21,385 students enroll across its seven schools this year, the system said Monday. Last year, the figure was 19,477.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/21/maines-community-colleges-see-record-fall-enrollment/
Portland school district identifies $500,000 to resolve retirement pay issues
The district's finance director says savings from grant-funded programs and staff vacancies will cover the contract with an accounting firm to reconcile payment issues with the state's public ret...
Augusta student’s chess gambit draws more young players to the sport
Experts say young players, including Jacoby Grotton, 15, have helped revive interest in chess, with many learning to play from websites or apps.
Dump truck driver, company summonsed after accident involving school bus
A dump truck left the road in Denmark early Friday morning, hitting a utility pole that fell onto a school bus, the sheriff's office said.
Southern Maine voters mull millions in school building projects on November ballot
Maine schools often turn to taxpayers for school construction or renovation funding because of the state's limited resources. But voters in those communities may not be open to picking up these b...
Biden names UMaine president to National Science Board
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who has a Ph.D. in mathematics education, will serve on the 24-member board that oversees the National Science Foundation.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/17/biden-names-umaine-president-to-national-science-board/
Portland school board OKs contract with 12% raise for most ed techs
But the district put off a decision on whether to hire an accounting firm to help sort out ongoing payroll issues, specifically incorrect payments it made to the Maine Public Employee Retirement ...
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/15/portland-school-board-oks-ed-tech-contract-with-12-raise/
Auburn ed techs and secretaries struggle with low wages, limited benefits
Negotiations are underway to find a middle ground between the district and about 100 education technicians and secretaries who have been working on an expired contract since September.
Former Portland teacher sentenced to prison for storing videos of child sex abuse
Travis McCutcheon, 54, appeared in Portland's federal courthouse on Tuesday morning.
Inside Maine’s first EV repair class
About two dozen students have completed Southern Maine Community College's hybrid and electric vehicle course since it launched in 2021. Similar programs are emerging elsewhere in the state.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/13/inside-maines-first-ev-repair-class/
West Paris, Paris to sue Oxford Hills school district over Agnes Gray Elementary School closing
Lawyers contend that SAD 17 violated Maine law when Superintendent Heather Manchester closed the West Paris school in February.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/12/west-paris-paris-to-sue-oxford-hills-school-district/
Substitute teacher and business owner vie for at-large seat on Portland school board
Maya Lena, a substitute teacher and parent, and John Rousseau, an entrepreneur and parent of a recent graduate, are running for the only contested seat on the Portland Public Schools Board of Edu...
Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation awards $25,000 to Portland Public Schools
The grant should allow the Lyman Moore, King and Lincoln libraries to purchase about 400 new books each, expanding the diversity of their collections.
Portland ed techs to get raises under proposed contract agreement
The school board will vote Tuesday on an agreement between the school district and union that would raise the starting wage for most ed techs by 12%.
Court sides with Pennsylvania parents in suit over transgender lesson for first graders
The district or teacher never informed parents of the planned lesson, meaning they were not given the option to opt their child out.
Wiscasset 4th-grade teacher named Maine’s teacher of the year
The Maine Department of Education described the long-time educator as nature-oriented and a mentor to other teachers.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/10/wiscasset-4th-grade-teacher-named-maines-teacher-of-the-year/
Elite colleges accused of price-fixing to make divorced parents pay more
The alleged scheme has increased the cost of college for students with divorced or separated parents.
Lincoln County mother appeals case of child’s gender expression at school
A federal appeals court will weigh whether Amber Lavigne can sue the Damariscotta school district, which she alleges violated her rights by withholding information about her child using a differe...
Mexico middle school closed immediately because of poor air quality
Superintendent Deb Alden said students will switch to remote learning next Tuesday.
Portland fourth-graders explore Wabanaki history on Mackworth Island
Portland schools rolled out a Wabanaki studies curriculum after a 2022 report found schools weren't properly teaching Indigenous history, despite a 20-year-old law.
Two Mainers change careers to ease bus driver crunch at RSU 4
Wales-based school district embraces new drivers for taking action to help resolve challenge of finding, retaining critical drivers.
Mills creates committee to study Maine’s school construction funding
The 13-member commission's study will be the first such review since 1998. 'It’s time for a new look at how Maine pays for school construction,' the governor says.
Some Maine schools grapple with confusion over suit challenging new protections against discrimination
Maine's education commissioner says local officials from affected schools may uphold new protections in the Title IX updates because they are already guaranteed under the Maine Human Rights Act.
Biden student loan forgiveness may proceed after small win in lawsuit
The decision delivers a small victory in the Biden administration’s ongoing fight to alleviate federal student loan debt.
UMaine System students awarded refunds over online learning during COVID
About 16,180 students are eligible for the partial refund of tuition and fees after a settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging breach of contract for classes and services moving online durin...
U.S. school-entry vaccination rates fall as exemptions keep rising
All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, allowing exemptions for certain medical conditions. Most...
A cottage business becomes a college business after seaweed snack company donated to UNE
The former owners of SeaMade Seaweed Company donated the business to the University of New England, where students will take over the production, marketing and distribution of the nutrition bars.
UMaine potato breed edges out longtime favorites
Nearly a decade after it was introduced, a strain of potato developed by the University of Maine is proving popular among consumers and farmers alike.
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/09/29/umaine-potato-breed-edges-out-longtime-favorites/
UMaine Machias to offer new nursing program via UMaine Augusta partnership
The Downeast Nursing Track will allow students to earn a bachelor's in nursing from the Augusta college while going to school in Machias.
About 300 Lewiston middle schoolers get naloxone training as part of state mandate
As the state-mandated training for administering the overdose antidote makes its way to school districts across the state, hundreds of middle schoolers attended Lewiston's training two days in a ...
Kennebunk teachers’ union files complaint against school board
The Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association accuses the district of engaging in a prohibited labor practice and violating the rights of its employees under state labor laws.
UMaine System to request another round of proposals for Hutchinson Center sale
A new request for proposals on the Belfast property will be released by the end of next week and will remain open until November.
Portland educator, politician hired as Maine’s first green schools director
Former University of Southern Maine President Glenn Cummings began work this week promoting sustainability in the state's schools.