October 17, 2002

On October 17, the School Board met at the Municipal Facility and discussed their vision for the future of Scarborough’s education system. Meeting attendees included Annelee Rosenblat, Mark Violette, Jacquelin Perry, David Doyle, Bill Beneman, Bill Michaud, and Robert Mitchell. The notes from this discussion are listed below.

What should the School System look like in 20 years?
The School Board was asked to discuss what the school system should look like in 20 years.

• the 6-12 population would be 800 - 1,000 children; it is now 800
• there would be enough administrative and support personnel to give quality education and also to assist the teachers
• “two high school system would be the end of Scarborough as a single town”
• one comprehensive high school, one magnet middle school
  • these are very expensive, and administrative problems, but has its benefits
• school system should be able to offer the community the core social magnet in town
  • for example, athletic fields, traditions (Summer Fest), facilities, and to bring people inside the schools who otherwise wouldn’t be there
• school’s physical space should serve all of the community
  • swimming pool, hockey rink, field house, community center
  • the community is more ready for a swimming pool or similar joint-use facility (Wentworth School?)
• long-term retention of faculty
• source of civic pride
• alums who feel Scarborough schools were a part of their success
• schools within larger schools is a great concept for older grades
• sidewalks to municipal facilities
• help pay for this by increasing the tax base ratio to 30% or 40% commercial, added revenue could help pay for things we want
• tri-semester schedule with 210 days of school
• technology to have every student with a PC or a laptop
• language instruction
• move towards a more global perspective
• schools used more like college with more flexibility in schedules (day, week, year)
• traditions (for example a July 4th parade) that are outside of the school system
• education that is not dependent on property taxes
• schools will have to leave the Oak Hill area and expand the technology and infrastructure
• appeal to a wider range of students (life long) to get people of different generations learning together (can increase the level of expectations, create more stimulating env’t)
• recognize that Scarborough is in transition and is not rural anymore
• need facilities to push the envelope (50m pool, field house, amenities to attract new businesses); all of these will fill because there is no competition in the region
• Oak Hill should be focus of the system and should work to maximize the contiguous space
• someday maybe expand into the Orion Center
• expand the elementary school west of the turnpike (beware of new sewers that might attract development)
• is the Beasy School a landmark? If so, how would this fit into the school system
• bring more seniors citizens into the school to volunteer