June 29, 2020
Dear Families and Communities,
As we come to the end of June, I would like to provide you with information concerning the Maranacook Area Schools as we look to the fall and the start of the 2020 - 2021 school year.
The first is the final step for the RSU 38 District budget which will be voted on July 14, 2020 in each of our communities. Polling stations will be set up in all four towns at the elementary schools for in person voting or you can vote via absentee ballot by contacting the town office. I encourage you all to vote in whichever method works best for you. As you reflect on your vote, I want to remind everyone that budget information can be found on our website at https://www.maranacook.org/o/rsu-38/page/fy-21-budget-documents. You can also view budget deliberation meetings by going to RSU#38 Budget on our youtube channel. As this has been an extra challenging year the RSU 38 Board of Directors goal of promoting student success in all areas, as we strive for academic excellence while maintaining fiscal responsibility became even more pronounced.
This leads me into the question that is on everyone’s mind: What will schools look like in the fall? We have begun the process of planning for various reopening scenarios by putting together teams made up of various stakeholders to safely plan for these scenarios. The Maine Department of Education has released a document called the Draft Framework for Return to Classroom Instruction, available by clicking here, which we are using to guide our planning. The Maine DOE has stated clearly they will be making the decision on when it is safe to return in early August and individual districts will have the flexibility to determine a plan that makes the most sense locally and/or regionally. This is why we are planning for various return to learn scenarios. We have much work to do to be ready for the fall and our optimistic goal is to be ready for students to return in the fall. We are hoping for the best but planning for any eventuality. As our plans develop and more information becomes available we will be reaching out to families and our communities.
As we navigate these truly unprecedented times we work to prioritize health and safety for our students and staff, keep equity at the forefront of all conversations, prioritize the impact this has had on social emotional wellbeing, and plan for needed support to return to academic studies at all levels. We will be ready in the fall and will be sharing information as it becomes available. In the meantime I truly wish our students and their families an enjoyable summer. Thank you for your continued support of the Maranacook Area Schools. We will be in touch again very soon!
Sincerely,
James Charette, Superintendent