As summer vacation comes to an end, teachers are back in the classroom preparing for the start of another school year, and students are getting ready for their studies. Although the future of some regional school units is unclear and a few budgets are yet to be passed, students and school staff will be back on campus in a few days for another year of education.

In Biddeford, high school students will start the year on their newly renovated campus, and Wells is just beginning the process to renovate its high school. Staff changes have occurred and new programs will commence in many districts. For all the details and school start dates, read on:

BIDDEFORD

The first day of school for students in grades 1-9 is Sept. 4. For kindergarten students, the first day is Sept. 7 at 8 a.m. For students in grades 10-12 and at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, the first day is Sept. 5. Classes start at 8 a.m. at Biddeford Primary School and Biddeford Intermediate School; 7:30 a.m. at Biddeford Middle School; 7:40 a.m. at Biddeford High School; and 7:50 a.m. for the morning session at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology and 11:20 a.m. for the afternoon session.

Long-time Superintendent of Schools Sarah-Jane Poli retired June 30, and on July 1, her replacement, Jeremy Ray, took the helm.

Ray was thrown right into the budget process, and the public has yet to approve the school budget for fiscal year 2013, which began July 1. State statute requires a public affirmation of a school unit’s education budget. The city council is scheduled to vote on a new school budget Aug. 29, and the public will vote on the budget for the third time in September.

Ray has said he would like to make changes to increase efficiencies in the school system, while at the same time doing what’s best for children. He has also said he would like to work more with the city and other school districts to cut expenses for all.

Margaret Pitts is the new principal of Biddeford Primary School.

Another major change is the renovation of Biddeford High School, which should be mostly complete when students return to school. For the first time this fall, students will use the revamped cafeteria and Tiger Gymnasium. Two new paintings have also been installed at the high school, one in the main lobby and another in the library. An art opening will be held Tuesday.

RSU 21

In Regional School Unit 21, students in grades 1-9 will begin school on Sept. 4, grades 10-12 begin on Sept. 5 and kindergarten students begin on Sept. 6.

Teachers and staff at Regional School Unit 21 are gearing up for the upcoming school year, with many new clubs, programs and staff changes in store, particularly at Kennebunk High School.

Due to retirements, KHS will welcome seven new teachers into the fold, and former Assistant Principal David Mitchell will step down from his administrative position to return to the classroom, teaching geometry and algebra in the fall. David Creech will fill the vacant assistant principal role.

Principal Susan Cressey said five foreign students will attend KHS this fall, including four from China and one from Germany.

“We’re very excited about that,” said Cressey.

KHS science teachers will be working with the University of New England in Biddeford to organize physics and chemistry workshops. Providing an additional boost will be funding from a Coloring the Community Orange grant from Kennebunk’s own Corning Incorporated, which KHS will use to provide the science department with new equipment.

With robotics programs in full swing at the grade- and middle-school levels, KHS will see the birth of a new robotics program, in which students will build and design robots and program them to perform simple tasks.

Superintendent Andrew Dolloff said there are 223 total staff positions in RSU 21, and he had praise for two new members of the district’s administrative team: Technology Director Jamie Jensen and Business Administrator Bruce Rudolph.

RSU 23

In Regional School Unit 23, covering Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach, students from first to eighth grade will begin school on Sept. 4. Kindergartners will begin school on Sept. 10. C.K. Burns School, Governor John Fairfield School and Young School, all in Saco, begin at 8:15 a.m. Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach and Dayton Consolidated School begin at 8:30 a.m. Loranger Middle School in Old Orchard Beach begins at 8 a.m. Old Orchard Beach High School and Saco Middle School both begin at 7:30 a.m. Old Orchard Beach High School will begin on Sept. 5, with freshman orientation on Sept. 4. Thornton Academy begins on Aug. 29 at 7:45, with no school on Aug. 31 or Sept. 3. Freshman orientation will be held on Aug. 28.

Superintendent of Schools Patrick Phillips said RSU 23 will continue to implement the recently completed strategic plan and the new teacher evaluation system, and begin work on the systems used for evaluating principals this year.

“Of course, the budget situation and the two withdrawal processes in Saco and Dayton will potentially have a disruptive influence on our ability to focus on the teaching ”¦ but we will try our best to forge ahead in spite of the long-term uncertainty,” he said.

New teacher orientation will be held on Aug. 28 and teachers will attend workshops on Aug. 29 and 30.

On Aug. 29, Dan Hupp from the Maine Department of Education will present an overview of the new common core standards, which will be adopted by the state. Once these new standards have been incorporated into local curriculums, new state testing programs will follow, said Phillips.

The RSU will continue its long-term work on building more effective Professional Learning Communities, said Phillips. This system allows teachers to work together on instructional strategies to make sure all students have multiple chances to meet the standards. A national expert on the system will also speak Aug. 29.

Saco Middle School is welcoming Laurie Wood as its new principal, and Rene Menard began as the new headmaster of Thornton Academy on July 1. He is a 1988 graduate of Thornton Academy.

RSU 57

District-wide, 26 new staff members are being welcomed into Regional School Unit 57 this fall, according to Superintendent John Davis. The first day of school for students is Wednesday, Aug. 29, with no school on Friday, Aug. 31.

In administration, former Massabesic teacher Christine Bertinet will be taking the assistant principal’s position, he said. Davis himself will be marking his first full year with the district, having come on board in the spring after the resignation of former Superintendent Frank Sherburne in September 2011.

“We continue to move forward with our effort to make sure all students are taught to the highest standards,” said Davis, who noted there are no significant changes in the district this year.

At Massabesic High School, the cafeteria has undergone a facelift, and students will have more options for hard-to-find course offerings through a new, online learning consortium the school has joined, he said. The district’s other buildings also received upgrades, particularly at the Massabesic East building where the old media center has been enclosed. New carpet was installed at Line and Alfred elementary schools and painting was done throughout the district, said Davis.

SANFORD

Tuesday, Sept. 4 is the first day of school for grades 1-6 and will be a screening day for kindergarten students. Wednesday, Sept. 5 is the first day for kindergarten students. High school freshmen start Sept. 4 at 7:45 a.m., and high school seniors will attend from 8:30-11 a.m. for the class photo. Sept. 5 is the first day for sophomores, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6 is the first day all high school students, starting at 7:50 a.m., and for the Regional Technical Center. Grade seven students starts Sept. 4 and grade eight starts Sept. 5.

Superintendent of Schools David Theoharides said grades nine and 10 students will each be receiving iPad tablet computers as part of a school-wide initiative to expand the use of technology. The school purchased 650 iPads using funds from a Nellie Mae Foundation grant and eRate.

A new district-wide activities calendar providing listings of events and activities at all schools, that can be filtered by categories or location, is available at www.sanford.org.

The Sanford School Committee has approved a late start one day a week for Sanford High School students. Alternative, optional activities will be available for students at that time including guest speakers, tutorial sessions, seminars and study time. Parents will receive information about the program in September.

Sanford Junior High School’s new assistant principal is Pamela Lydon, replacing former assistant principal Drew Patin, who assumed the role of principal in July after retirement of Becky Brink.

Theoharides said Sanford Regional Technical Center is welcoming a new assistant director, Kathy Sargent.

WOCSD

Wells-Ogunquit Community School District kicks off the new school year on Sept. 4. Wells Junior High students, Wells High School freshmen and elementary students will begin Sept. 4, and upperclassmen will start Sept. 5. Kindergarten students will have screenings Sept. 4-6 and will have their first day of school Sept. 7.

Superintendent Elaine Tomaszewski said the district is welcoming several new personnel this school year, including Wells Junior High School Assistant Principal Robert Griffin, Director of Special Services Ryan Fairchild, Director of Finance and HR Rick Kursturin, and more than 20 new staff, filling positions created by retirements or resignations.

At Wells Elementary School, a new program will begin this fall called STEM ”“ Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ”“ and lessons will emphasize the four subjects for students in grades 3-4, Tomaszewski said.

At the high school, a new course in AP Technology will be offered for the first time, and plans for a new building will take shape. The Wells High School Building Committee members met for the first time in August, and will be formally introduced at the school committee’s first meeting on Sept. 5. The building committee is charged with creating plans for a new high school prior to a June 2013 referendum vote.

Tomaszewski also noted a new partnership with local farms to grow fruits and vegetables specifically for the district’s schools this year.