RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy agree to 10-year extension

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — On the evening of Dec. 4, RSU 68 Superintendent Al Smith, Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey and six members of the FA-RSU 68 Liaison Committee celebrated the signing of an agreement to extend the existing contract between Regional School Unit 68 and Foxcroft Academy for an additional 10 years. The contract stipulates that RSU 68 agrees to send all students who are in grades 9-12 and are legal residents of Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec to Foxcroft Academy and, correspondingly, that Foxcroft Academy agrees to accept all such students. The agreement, which is the fruit of two years of ongoing discussions, was set to expire on June 30 but will now be binding from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2024.

Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy

ANOTHER DECADE TOGETHER — RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy officials recently signed an agreement for district high school students to attend the secondary school for another 10 years. Pictured is front, from left, RSU 68 school board member Jenny Chase, Foxcroft Academy trustee and Liaison Committee Chair Susan Almy and school board member Mary Downs. Back, trustee Tom Lizotte, RSU 68 Superintendent Alan Smith, School Board Chair Rick Johnston, Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey and trustee Dr. Richard Swett.

    Both the RSU 68 Board of Directors and the Foxcroft Academy Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract, signifying that all parties involved wish to continue the long-standing relationship between Foxcroft Academy and its surrounding community indefinitely. “This long-term commitment will enable Foxcroft Academy and RSU 68 to make what is already one of the finest learning institutions an even stronger leader in education,” said Rick Johnston, chair of the RSU 68 Board of Directors.
    “This contract is symbolic of our shared commitment to work together to provide the very best educational programming to the students in our community,” added Shorey, who has led Foxcroft Academy since 2010. “We have developed a strong working relationship with RSU 68, and this spirit of collaboration will allow us to address any challenges we may face over the next 10 years.”
    Foxcroft Academy Trustee Susan Almy served as chair of the Liaison Committee, which included fellow trustees Tom Lizotte and Dr. Richard Swett and RSU 68 board members Johnston, Mary Downs and Jenny Chase. Almy was impressed with the committee’s ability to overcome obstacles along the way and ultimately work toward a common goal, noting, “A long and tedious negotiation has produced worthwhile results that will benefit our community’s students.”
    Smith, who has served as Superintendent of RSU 68 (formerly SAD 68) since 2009, was pleased with the resolution: “I wish to thank both the RSU 68 Board of Directors and the Foxcroft Academy Board of Trustees for their collaborative efforts in voting to accept this contract. With all of the many educational challenges we face, it has been nice to be part of two groups of people working together for the betterment of our children’s educational future.”