RSU 16 Spotlight

Spring has officially arrived, but winter seems determined to hold on just a little longer! Despite the unpredictable weather, our schools have been buzzing with energy. Thank you to all the families who attended student-led conferences, packed our schools for Parent Nights, and filled our auditoriums for concerts. Your engagement and support make a tremendous difference in our students’ learning experiences, and we are grateful for the strong sense of community that continues to grow in our district.

Gold Winners: Calvin Schroeder- Interactive App & Video/Multimedia, Serenity Knight- Video Production/Multimedia, Hope Lamont- Baking & Pastry Arts/Culinary Arts, Jenna Caron- Job Skills Demo A/Cosmetology W, Emma MacMahon- Emergency Medical Technician/EMT W.

Silver Winners: Johnny Bsullak- Plumbing/Plumbing, Griffin Spurr- Job Interview/Fire Fighting W. Bronze Winners: Oliver Olson- Auto Service Tech/Automotive Technology, and Dylan Theriault- Diesel Equipment Tech/Automotive Technology.

On March 13, GaTE Art students from the three elementary schools were able to come together for a District Art Workshop in which they designed and created set pieces for this year's middle school play, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." A farmhouse, farm animals, Munchkin houses, cornfields, monkey and crow masks and wings were among students' creations that will be used on stage in this year's production.

Congratulations to our young artists and thanks again to the Art Teachers for bringing their energy, artistry and support to our GaTE Art students!

We are so proud of the 2024-25 Knights Indoor Track & Field Team! They wrapped up their season on Monday at the State Championships at Bates College. All athletes who qualified rose to the competition and carried themselves with dignity and class. The Knights podiumed in three events this season. Special shout-outs to these athletes: ALYSSA MASON, STATE CHAMPION in the SHOT PUT with a PR throw of 37-0.25; The 4x200M RELAY TEAM run by COHEN DEMUTH, ETHAN CASTONGUAY, RYAN KELLY, and MASON DULWORTH (1:39.79) ; RYAN KELLY also achieved an individual medal with a 6th place finish in the HIGH JUMP (5-8)!

PRHS Class of 2025 Valedictorian Hunter Gagnon and Salutatorian Ian Eugley and their families - congratulations Hunter and Ian for all your hard work!

Mrs. Mason's 4th grade class at PCS participated in STEM and coding activities using Lego Spike Essential Kits obtained through a Computer Science grant from the Maine DOE.

ESS PreK wrapped up their February math unit with a Teddy Bear Celebration! Children were invited to bring a teddy bear to school and participate in various bear-themed activities. As a class, we sorted our bears by different attributes, used unifix cubes to measure how big our bears were, and wrote a Teddy Bear Colors class book! It was a "Beary" fun day.

🎶✨ March is Music in Our Schools Month – a time to celebrate the joy, creativity, and passion that music brings to our students every day! 🎼🥁

We are so fortunate to have the best music educators and talented students filling our schools with song, rhythm, and harmony. From band and chorus to general music classes, our music programs help students grow in confidence, teamwork, and self-expression.

The WMS and PRHS Chorus performed to a packed auditorium last week, thank you Mrs. Edwards and Mr. Williams!

During a half-day State of the School Day on March 21st, PRHS students worked together to develop our Vision of the Graduate. The students’ contributions will enhance their current PRHS experiences and create opportunities to strengthen each of these dimensions in future high school teaching and learning.

The students refined the five dimensions of the Vision of the Graduate that have been identified through student, staff, and community feedback earlier this school year:

• A clear and effective communicator

• A self-directed and lifelong learner

• A creative and practical problem solver

• A responsible and involved citizen

• An integrative and informed thinker

Creating the Vision of the Graduate is a school-wide goal for PRHS accreditation through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Each year, RSU 16 must share with families, under the Title I statute, our dashboard distributed by the Maine Department of Education. To access the dashboard, go to https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard

Access the full school calendar on our website to stay informed and organized. We appreciate your partnership in creating a successful and well-prepared school year for your child.

Cost-Sharing Committee

Facilitator: Suzan Beaudoin

Mechanic Falls: Danielle Loring, At-Large, Darrell Young, At-Large, Mary Martin, Appointed School Board

Minot: Angela Swenson, Appointed School Board, Colleen Quint, At-Large, Brittany Hemond, At-Large

Poland: Steve Robinson, At-Large, Lisa Albee, At-Large, Joe Parent, Appointed School Board

For the FY26 budget, we are prioritizing three key areas:
🔹 Staffing and Support – Ensuring we have the people and resources needed to best serve our students.
🔹 Space, Facilities, and Equipment – Maintaining and improving the environments where learning happens.
🔹 Adapting to the Growing Needs of Students – Providing the services and supports necessary for all students to thrive.

Maine's funding formula calculates the share of the costs of PreK-12 education between State and Local. Maine determines Essential Programs and Services (EPS) for every district (minus) the required Local Share of those costs (equals) the State Share. What does this mean for RSU 16?

EPS is $22,821,542.23 (minus) $9,554,938 (41.87%) = $13,266,603 (58.13%)

Maine calculated RSU 16’s EPS at $22,821,542.23. Our local communities are required to contribute $9,554,938 (41.87%), while the State provides the remaining $13,266,603 (58.13%). It is important to note that many communities, including RSU 16, raise above what the State requires for education. This communication does not include Additional Local.

Here’s how the required local contribution breaks down by town:
🔹 Mechanic Falls: $1,452,511
🔹 Minot: $1,779,370
🔹 Poland: $6,323,056

I know these numbers can feel daunting, but it's important to understand that RSU 16 does not determine these amounts—the State does, using a formula that relies heavily on town property values (valuation) and student enrollment. To put this into perspective, the current 3-year average town valuations set by the Maine Revenue Service are:
🏡 Mechanic Falls: $238 million
🏡 Minot: $292 million
🏡 Poland: $1 billion

When you compare these figures to each town’s required local contribution, you can see how much valuation impacts what our communities must pay.

RSU 16 has decided not to continue offering COVID test kits to families. Our current supply will expire at the end of the month, and due to the limited number of kits distributed this year, we encourage families to take advantage of the free test kits available for order online. You can find more information and request kits at COVIDtests.gov.