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As students across Maine prepare to go back to school, Lakes Region superintendents spoke about changes that students and family members can expect in the upcoming school year.

Chanda Turner, who is entering her first full year as superintendent of MSAD 15, talked about how her district was entering the new school year in the aftermath of a failed budget referendum. Turner said the towns of Gray and New Gloucester would be voting on the revised budget on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and the district was trying to get as many people as they could to turn out and vote.

Turner also spoke about how proud she was that Gray-New Gloucester was ranked the No. 2 high school in Maine.

As students across Maine prepare to go back to school, Lakes Region superintendents spoke about changes that students and family members can expect in the upcoming school year. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)

“We’re pretty excited, pretty proud of our kids. We’re just a pretty small school district that has kids who work really hard and adults who work really hard to give kids every advantage. It’s a nice little way to start the school year.”

Christopher Howell, superintendent at RSU 14, said that a tremendous amount of work was done to upgrade the electrical and HVAC system at Raymond Elementary, allowing the school, previously known for having the hottest classrooms in the district, to have climate control through air-source heat pumps. Manchester School and Windham Primary School all had HVAC installed previously, and, with all three schools having their systems upgraded, these changes will have a positive impact on the learning environment for children and staff.

In the wake of the passage of LD-1234, which restricts the use of cell phones in schools, districts across Maine are scrambling to update their phone use policy.

Turner said that MSAD 15’s policy, which is not as drastic as in some other districts, would not change in the short-term, and they would not until students, teachers and family members have a chance to weigh in.

Howell said that RSU 14 was making a big change in its policy, banning cell phones in high school entirely, as opposed to the previous policy, which allowed them to use their phones when not in class. The same policy, he said, already existed in the lower grades, and elementary school students will no longer be allowed to use cell phones on school buses.

MSAD 61 Assistant Superintendent Courtney Smith, whose district covers Bridgton, Naples and Casco, said her district recently adopted a policy in which cell phones will be banned throughout the day, with the exception of lunch. The policy is expected to begin on the first day of school.

Regarding new staff, Turner said that her district has a new director of curriculum and staff development, Kathy Martin, who was formerly head of school at the recently shuttered St. Dominic Academy. Howell said the only change in his district was Matt Vanderberg replacing Bob Hickey as the district’s tech director.

All superintendents said that their bus route apps were currently live.