Bus driver shortage plagues local schools
How hard is it to hire a school bus driver? Ask Don Saunders, director of transportation for Ellsworth schools, and he’ll tell you he’s been beating the bush for drivers for the better part of two years.
Education
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COVID-19 throws a wrench in start of new school year
DEER ISLE — It’s only September and already the pandemic is disrupting the Hancock County school year. Deer Isle-Stonington High School is closed all this week and nearly 50 individuals in Regional School Unit 24 (RSU 24) have recently completed or are still in quarantine due to COVID-19 cases and possible exposures. RSU 25 was …
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RSU 25 School Board to hold emergency meeting to discuss outbreak
Regional School Unit 25 (RSU 25) will hold an emergency School Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. in the Bucksport High School library to discuss a COVID-19 outbreak at the Jewett School.
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Ellsworth schools to follow CDC guidelines on masking; pool testing to start in October
A vote to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on face coverings in schools received unanimous School Board support on Sept. 14, once Superintendent Dan Higgins assured board members the decision could be revisited at any time.
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Dozens of RSU 24 students in quarantine
Nearly 50 individuals in Regional School Unit 24 (RSU 24) have been instructed to quarantine following positive COVID-19 cases detected at the Mountain View School and Sumner Memorial High School.
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Ella Lewis School welcomes new principal
Prior to taking on the role as principal at the Steuben elementary school, Spaulding was the Every Student Succeeds Act coordinator, overseeing federal grant and professional development opportunities for RSU 24. She remains in that position while also being principal.
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Student vaccination estimates raise questions
ELLSWORTH — With the start of the academic year well underway and COVID-19 back-to-school plans in place for Maine schools, educators, parents and community members may be wondering what the vaccination rate is for eligible students ages 12 to 18 in local school districts. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with …
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EEMS principal announced
Travis Wood was unanimously approved as middle school principal at Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School at a special School Board meeting on Sept. 3. Wood had served as assistant principal and athletic director for grades five through eight since 2018.
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RSU 24 Board approves remote learning plan
The Regional School Unit 24 (RSU 24) Board of Directors unanimously approved the district’s updated COVID-19 back-to-school plan Tuesday, which encompassed its virtual learning proposal.
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Ellsworth woman sues School Board, alleges First Amendment violation
A local woman upset with how she was treated at an Aug. 12 School Board meeting filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Bangor on Aug. 27.
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YMCA has fewer afterschool slots due to staffing issues
ELLSWORTH — The afterschool program operated by the Down East Family YMCA at the Moore Center has limited the number of children it can accommodate this fall because of staffing issues. “There are some curveballs,” Director of Childcare Crystal Follette said. The program, which usually accommodates up to 60 children, is running at half capacity. …
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School Board OKs plan for extra state funding
An additional $696,000 in state subsidy for Ellsworth schools will be used to purchase a much-needed boiler at Hancock County Technical Center and turn a part-time high school health teacher position to a full-time one. The remainder will be used to offset local education costs to taxpayers, with $200,000 allocated for this school year and just shy of $370,000 placed in a reserve account for future years.