The RSU 5 Board of Directors and administration has worked diligently to develop a budget that is focused on the goals of the district and the needs of our students while remaining responsive to the needs of our taxpayers. The Board of Directors’ proposed operating budget for FY 25 is $41,612,460, which is an overall […]
Superintendent’s Notebook
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
Brunswick Superintendent’s Notebook: Students in choir learn more than singing – they find belonging
Last month’s column focused on the benefits of music, particularly playing an instrument. I’d like to stay on that path for this piece and focus on the instrument we all have, the one we were born with, and that is our voice. There’s something magical about music. While I’ll never perform at Carnegie Hall, I […]
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Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
Portland Superintendent’s Notebook: Five principles guided reductions, restructuring
I presented my proposed $161 million budget for the 2024-25 school year to the Board of Public Education two weeks ago – and have already heard quite a lot about what people like about the budget, and also what they’d like to change. I welcome this feedback because I consider the superintendent’s recommended budget a […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
RSU 5 Superintendent’s Notebook: Q&A sessions on new budget planned throughout district
RSU 5 is well into the process of developing a budget for the 2024-25 school year that will allow us to continue to provide a high quality education and move our district forward, while at the same time being fiscally responsible to the taxpayer. The RSU 5 Board of Directors have been presented with the […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
Brunswick Superintendent’s Notebook: Music provides students with ‘the keys to learning’
Every month, there is a plethora of national days to be celebrated. March is no different. As a bit of a trivia nerd, one stood out to me: International Bagpipe Day, which is March 10. Interestingly, while the bagpipe is most commonly associated with Scotland, many music historians trace its origins back to ancient Egypt. […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Portland Superintendent’s Notebook: One month of Black history is not enough
We are going to take a break from updates on the strategic plan and budget in this month’s column, as I want to use this article to recognize the leading work of the Portland Public Schools, specifically on Black history. February is Black History Month, a time to recognize all the contributions and the legacy […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
RSU 5 Superintendent’s Notebook: Safe storage keeps guns out of the hands of young people
Since 2018, there have been more than 100 school shooting incidents per year in our country, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database and those numbers have steadily increased. In addition, nearly 20% of all childhood deaths are caused by firearms. Proper firearm storage is one preventative action we can take to keep members of […]
Posted inCoastal Journal, The Forecaster
Brunswick Superintendent’s Notebook: Here’s a preview of what’s driving new school budget
We may have just entered 2024, but at the Brunswick School Department, we are already working on the FY 2025 school budget. And while there will be an opportunity for the community to share their thoughts with the school board at a public forum and workshop Feb. 28, I wanted to give you a preview […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
Portland Superintendent’s Notebook: Strategic planning headway and inspirational student work
The start of the new year and the upcoming budget make this a good time to give you an update on where we are in the process of developing our strategic plan. This five-year plan will help ensure that we continue to offer the quality education all Portland students deserve. We’ve been actively engaged in […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion, The Forecaster
RSU 5 Superintendent’s Notebook: Fulfilling district’s goals a key focus of second half of year
As we change the calendar from December to January, we have an opportunity to reflect on the previous year. Although we have much to celebrate, during the first few months of the school year we were faced with challenges that had a profound impact on our children and families. A swastika, a symbol of hate […]