RSU 68 a big part of regional adult ed program

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative Director Dr. Joshua McNaughton updated the RSU 68 school board on a number of organization programs during a meeting at the SeDoMoCha School on Tuesday evening, Jan. 2.

McNaughton said 17 students from the four RSU 68 communities – a number similar to those of other PVAEC member school districts — took part in a combined 130 adult education classes from July 1 to Dec. 31. Fourteen other students were enrolled and 53 RSU 68 residents took part in enrichment classes for a combined total of 84 students in various PVAEC offerings in the second half of 2023.

“Hats off goes to the staff,” McNaughton said in thanking them for their work in student success.

Eleven students received their high school diplomas, with five now being employed and the other six going on to college. McNaughton also said of five Commercial Driver License students three have completed the program and the other two will do so in the near future.

“All of our CDL students are employed before they graduate,” he said.

The PVAEC director said of four recent CNA students, three are employed and the fourth is pursuing a nursing degree.

“We’re very pleased with our numbers of students who are continuing their education with us,” McNaughton said.

He said he continues to work on professional development, advocating for policy at the state level, and ways the PVAEC can help serve correctional facility inmates.

The cooperative now shares a career to success coordinator with other adult education organizations in eastern Maine, and the coordinator can continue to work with students after they begin college.

McNaughton said community colleges currently have funding available to offer free or reduced tuition and these institutions are recruiting adult education students for the programs. “So all these pieces come together for a nice package for students if they want to go to college,” he said.

The PVAEC works around students’ schedules and situations with classes offered from the morning to the evening and virtual, hybrid, and in-person classes, depending on the particular program. 

“These pieces all come together to help the students along,” McNaughton said.

During the meeting, the directors voted to extend the district’s participation in PVAEC for another academic year through June 30, 2026. In the current RSU 68 budget, the district has an approximate $69,800 proportional share of the total $434,318 total PVAEC budget.

In other business, RSU 68 directors heard reports from district administrators.

SeDoMoCha Principal Adam Gudroe said classes resumed after the break with an enrollment of 641. “So it is up a little bit,” he said. “We had seven new students starting today, four in middle school and three in elementary and interestingly all four are in grade 7.”

Gudroe said the enrollment is split with 300 in middle school and 341 in the elementary side of the building.

He said the school’s food pantry provided 75 holiday boxes for families before the break. The principal thanked grade 7 math teacher Nichole Martin, who heads the all-inclusive market program, school nurse Courtney Arcaro, and Edwards Brothers Supermarkets.

A “Coins for a Cause” drive collected change in December with all proceeds to benefit the Ober family, who lost their home to a fire in November. “We were able to cut a check today for $1,200 for the family,” Gudroe said. “Being able to offer that to them is heart warming and very fulfilling for that cause.”

Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Cameron Archer mentioned the middle school basketball season is well underway and the Eagle cheer team is getting ready for a Saturday, Jan. 13 competition in Brewer.

Archer said the SeDoMoCha Middle School wrestling season will start Feb. 12 and he is working on the meet schedule. The athletic director is also developing a schedule for unified basketball.

“That’s a super neat opportunity not only for our school but our entire community,” Archer said.

Unified basketball partners students with developmental disabilities (unified student-athlete) with students without developmental disabilities (unified student partners) to train, compete, and represent their school, per the Maine Principals’ Association. 

Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey said the Pony ice hockey team had its very first game on Dec. 16 at the Piscataquis County Ice Arena, falling to the Brewer High School junior varsity 10-0. Shorey said the roster is composed of 14 local students plus a pair from both the Guilford and Milo areas.

“If we do bring back hockey, it will be on the backs of those players,” Shorey said about the potential for varsity hockey returning for the first time since the 2006-07 season when that team traveled to the Alfond Arena in Orono for practices and home games. He added that a varsity team would be a cooperative between Foxcroft Academy and players from other schools.

In her report, Superintendent Stacy Shorey said RSU 68 has been awarded a $50,000 literacy grant based on district Title I numbers. She said the funding can potentially be used for professional development or material purchase, “but you need to have a research-based rationale for whatever you are doing” so time is being spent developing this.

She also said the finance committee is scheduled to have its first meeting on the afternoon of Jan. 30 to begin work on the 2024-25 budget.