November 14 Blog Post

Good morning everyone!  I hope your respective November days are going well thus far!  Lots to talk about, so I'll just get right to the pictures from the past few weeks, then on to the information.

NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

November is Native American Heritage Month—a time to recognize the histories, traditions, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples. Here in Maine, this month holds special meaning as we honor the Wabanaki peoples—the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and Abenaki—who have lived on this land for more than 12,000 years. Their cultures, languages, and innovations continue to shape our state today. 

In the Gorham Schools, we teach about Wabanaki history throughout the year, but November offers a dedicated moment to uplift Native voices through literature, art, and classroom conversations. Families can play an important role in extending these learning opportunities at home by exploring books about Wabanaki culture, learning about key moments, or engaging with videos and exhibits created by Wabanaki educators and artists. 

To support families, here are a few recommended resources:

• Wabanaki Alliance — Educational materials and videos

• Maine Wabanaki REACH — Educational materials and learning resources

• Native Knowledge 360° (Smithsonian) — Classroom and family learning tools

• Maine Department Of Education - geared towards teachers, but lots of great resources for parents too

By celebrating Native American Heritage Month—and especially by centering our own local Wabanaki history—we strengthen our commitment to representation, respect, and community understanding. Thank you for taking the time to learn alongside your children this month and throughout the year!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE RECENT GAS LEAK AT NARRAGANSETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

First and foremost, thank you to our families for your extraordinary patience, flexibility, and care during last week’s gas leak at Narragansett Elementary School. With short notice, families were able to get home to meet buses or pick up their children at St. Anne’s. Only three students out of more than 450 needed to return to St. Anne’s for later pickup—an incredible testament to your responsiveness. Families followed directions on scene, allowed buses to depart first, and calmly picked up students in an orderly process. Your cooperation made a challenging situation safer and smoother for everyone.  THANK YOU!

I also want to offer our heartfelt thanks to first responders. The Gorham Fire Department arrived within minutes, quickly identified the leak, and ensured repairs were completed so students could return to school the very next day. Our Police Department helped students cross Route 25 safely and supported the dismissal process. And a special thank you to St. Anne’s Church for graciously opening their space and caring for our students in the midst of their own activities on that day.

As with any emergency, we immediately debriefed with school and public safety leaders to identify lessons learned. While many next steps involve small improvements, there are two key clarifications we want families to understand moving forward:

1. Dismissal Procedures During Off-Site Evacuations
If we must dismiss students from an alternate location, we will follow the dismissal plan already in place for that day—bus riders to buses, parent pickup to parent pickup, etc. This prevents hundreds of last-minute transportation changes that are not possible to manage safely during an emergency. If a child arrives home and no one is there, the bus driver will keep the student on board and contact school staff so we can problem-solve with you. Students will always be with well trained school staff until we can safely transition them home.  No student will ever be left unattended or cared for.

2. Who to Call During an Off-Site Emergency
When staff and students evacuate, no one remains at the school to answer phones. If you have questions during an event like this, please call the Superintendent’s Office, where staff are available to support families and share any information we have.

We will continue refining our practices, and we welcome your feedback. If you have suggestions that could help strengthen our emergency protocols, please reach out to Principal Eppler (erin.eppler@gorhamschools.org) or to me (heather.perry@gorhamschools.org).

Most importantly, THANK YOU for being such strong partners. Emergencies remind us that safety is a shared responsibility—and last week, our community showed exactly what it means to pull together. Your calm, your care, and your trust allowed us to keep every student safe. We are grateful for you, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and ensuring our schools are ready for whatever comes our way. Together, we help make Gorham a community where our children feel protected, cared for, and supported every single day.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE KICKS OFF FY 27 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WITH ANNUAL "DESSERT & DISCUSS" MEETING

The Gorham School Committee met last night with members of the district leadership team (DLT) to hold our annual Dessert & Discuss meeting.  This meeting is a time where our DLT members are able to share with School Committee members what their current challenges are and where they see needs for our schools in the next 2-3 years.  This information helps to provide the backdrop for our upcoming budget development processes.  There are more needs than funding each and every year, but this process allows us to wholistically understand all needs and prioritize them to identify what will go into our FY 27 budget proposals and what may need to wait a little while longer.

You can view the recording of the meeting below using the following two links.  

Dessert & Discuss Part I

Dessert & Discuss Part II

You can also view all the attachments and information provided to School Committee members last night by CLICKING HERE.  If you run into any links that are not "open", just request access and we'll be sure to open them up for your viewing.

The videos are long, but they follow the same order on the agenda so you can skip around on the video to particular sections you might be most interested in.

Next steps will be for the School Committee to create a Q&A document for questions stemming from these presentations.  This Q&A document will be completed and shared with the public and School Committee at their November 25 workshop meeting.  We will also post all of these items on our FY 27 budget development page on our district website.  We are working to update that page now so please stay tuned.

Thank you to all of our DLT members for putting together this important information and sharing it with our School Committee.  

ELECTION/REFERENDUM RESULTS AND NEXT STEPS

Thank you to everyone who turned out to vote in our recent elections. Turnout was strong—especially for an off-year election—and it was wonderful to see so many community members engaged in local decision-making.

Congratulations to our newly elected School Committee members:

• Jeffrey Ballard – 3-year term
• Lowansa Tompkins – 3-year term
• Paulette Tatishi – 1-year term

All three have already been sworn in and have attended multiple meetings, jumping right into their new roles.

Voters also approved the referendum to reallocate a little over $2.5 million from the previously approved November 2024 bond to support three projects: (1) Track and Field replacement; (2) ADA and sprinkler system upgrades at Narragansett School; and (3) the Village access road, paving, and Great Falls fire lane repaving. The measure passed with 4,357 “yes” votes to 2,058 “no.”

Next steps include completing design and engineering work for the track and Narragansett projects and preparing bid documents. For the Village and Great Falls work, we will partner closely with Gorham Public Works on planning and design. We anticipate construction on the track, field, and Narragansett upgrades will begin right after school ends in June and wrap up before students return in August. Village and Great Falls work will likely begin this summer as well and may extend into the fall, but will not affect our ability to reopen schools on time.

While these projects move us forward, they are just one part of our broader facilities needs. With no state school construction funding expected for at least the next decade, we will be revisiting our ten-year capital plan and determining how best to prioritize and responsibly invest in our growing community’s needs. These conversations will be central to the work of the School Committee and the Town of Gorham in the year ahead.

Looking ahead, I remain incredibly hopeful. Gorham has always risen to meet challenges with collaboration, creativity, and a deep commitment to our students. As we plan for the next decade of growth, we have a real opportunity to shape learning environments that reflect our values—safe, welcoming, innovative spaces where every child can thrive. Thank you for your ongoing partnership. Together, we will continue building a future that our children and our community can be proud of. 

A.I. PARENT/COMMUNITY SURVEY - PLEASE PARTICIPATE!

The Gorham Schools has created an A.I. Handbook Committee whose major role will be to develop a clear, practical, and future-focused Student/Family and Staff Handbook for the use of Artificial Intelligence in Gorham Public Schools.

The handbook will establish guidelines that promote ethical, safe, and responsible use of AI while supporting innovation, teaching, learning, and equity for all members of our school community.  The handbook will also contain specific resources for student/family and staff.

A stakeholder committee has been created that includes Admin., Teachers, Students, Parents, and Community Members. The group had their first meeting just last week.

Part of their work is to gather data to help inform the development of these handbooks. We want to know your thoughts about A.I. and its use in schools! We would LOVE to make sure that families and community members participate in a recent survey for this purpose. Data collected will be shared with the handbook committee and used to help inform decision making moving forward.

If you are a parent or community member - we want to hear from you on this important topic! Please use the link or QR code provided below and participate TODAY! Survey will remain open until November 30th. We've already had about 230 folks participate - but we'd really like to have more! Survey takes between 5-10 minutes to complete! Thank you in advance!

Survey Link: https://tejoin.com/scroll/564061576

QR Code:

MDOE ADDRESSING QUESTIONS AROUND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Yesterday, the Maine Department of Education shared a communication with schools across the state to address recent questions from families about the future of special education services—questions rooted in national conversations about potential federal funding and oversight changes.

I want to reassure our community that this information was clear and helpful, and worth sharing widely. Bottom line: Special Education services in the Gorham Schools will continue without interruption. Funding for the current fiscal year is fully secure, and any potential federal organizational changes—such as relocating oversight to the Department of Health and Human Services—would be structural in nature and not impact the services your child receives, at least not at this time.

Please know that the Gorham Schools holds a deep commitment to our special education students, our highly skilled staff, and the high-quality programs that support them. These services will continue, and we will remain transparent and proactive in communicating any future developments.

As we look ahead, I want families to feel both reassured and hopeful. While the national landscape may shift, our commitment does not. We will continue to advocate fiercely for the resources our students deserve, invest in strong and inclusive programming, and partner closely with families every step of the way. No matter what changes may come at the state or federal level, our promise remains the same: every Gorham student will receive the services, support, and opportunities they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

You can view the MDOE message by CLICKING HERE.

UPCOMING HOLIDAY FUN FOR FAMILIES EFFECTED BY DISABILITIES

Summit Church is providing some holiday activities specifically geared towards serving families impacted by disabilities.  Check out the flyer below for details and be sure to register in advance to attend so they can plan appropriately for numbers. 

Registration Link:  https://summitmaine.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3267810

AUTHOR VISIT TO ALL FIVE GORHAM SCHOOLS NEXT WEEK!

Author Terry Farish will be coming to all 5 schools in the Gorham School Department over a 2.5 day period next week. This is the first time  librarians have been able to coordinate one author district-wide.  The visit will be funded by ASPIRE Gorham. 

Terry writes books for elementary-aged students, middle school, high school, and young adults. You can read more about her and her books on her website if you want to perhaps participate in reading books at home by Terry as well!  We are excited to welcome Terry and to hear about her journey to becoming an author!

THANK YOU GORHAM HANNAFORD!

Thank you to Zachary Glanville, Store Manager at Hannaford in Gorham for being willing to work with Christine Karcanes, a Kindergarten Teacher at Narragansett Elementary School to create a letter hunt for families to do with their young children while shopping at Hannaford in Gorham. The sheets are found at the dietitian’s station in the front of the store. When students fill in the sheet, they can bring it to the customer service area for a sticker! What a fun, educational activity that promotes literacy skills for our little learners while they shop at Hannaford! I hope our families enjoy!

GORHAM STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO MAINE MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION JAZZ ALL STATE FESTIVAL!

Congratulations to Gavin Monkiewicz (Lead Trumpet), Nicolas Andrade (Guitar) and Dash Coolong (Drumset) were all accepted into the Maine Music Educators Association Jazz All State Festival!

For context, only 5 guitar, 5 drumset and 11 trumpet players are accepted into the festival from all of Maine. We have some of the best jazz musicians in the state right here in Gorham and it is a testament to their hard work and dedication!

VILLAGE SCHOOL STUDENTS SHARE HOW THEY WILL CHANGE THE WORLD! 

Several students presented to the school committee on Wednesday, Nov. 12 about their B.A.R.R. U-Time work.  B.A.R.R. stands for "Building Assets, Reducing Risks" and is a nationally renowned program that is being utilized by Village Elementary School in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education.  

You can watch the full presentation to the school committee by CLICKING HERE (4 min. mark), but due to technical difficulties we weren't able to show the video that students wanted to share at the end to talk about how they would work to change the world.  So, I thought I'd share the video here...ENJOY! 

Student Video Link

THANK YOU VILLAGE STUDENTS for helping us to remember the passion of our younger students to make a positive impact on the world!  Love your ideas!  Keep up the great work...and I have no doubt you will achieve your goals!

Thats all for this blog post!  Next one will be DECEMBER 5 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday coming up later this month!  Enjoy your weekend! 

October 31 Blog Post

Today is the last day of October—can you believe it? This school year is flying by! Before diving into the important updates, I want to pause to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who reached out with kind words following my selection as Maine’s Superintendent of the Year for 2026. This recognition means so much to me for two reasons. First, it comes from my peers—fellow superintendents who understand the challenges, the late nights, and the deep sense of purpose that define this work. And second, it’s not really my award at all. It represents the dedication, collaboration, and heart of an entire Gorham team—our staff, students, families, and community members. A superintendent’s success is never a solo achievement, so I share this honor proudly with all of you. Congratulations, Gorham—you’ve earned it too!☺

Now on to some pictures from the past few weeks showing the incredible work happening in our schools, followed by important information!

FINAL REMINDER - PLEASE VOTE NOVEMBER 4!

I don't know about you, but this time of the year, I start to get a little "voter fatigue".  Between signs, commercials, text reminders, news coverage, and social media posts, it is hard not to feel a little "weight" in making decisions at the polls that impact our communities.  I do not wish to add to the noise and pressure, so I will keep this BRIEF!☺

CLICK HERE to view an informational flyer on the single question on the local ballot (Question #2) impacting our schools.  CLICK HERE to watch a quick informational video on question 2 (local ballot).  Please reach out with any questions!  No question is too big or too small (heather.perry@gorhamschools.org).

Then, just be sure to get out and vote on November 4!  Your vote matters to our community!  THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY REGARDING SNAP BENEFITS 

With the threat that SNAP benefits will not be issued to thousands of families in Maine beginning in November, I have had LOTS of questions about what that might mean for our schools and the families we serve.  

First, it is important to note that even though the USDA oversees both SNAP benefits and the School Nutrition Program at the federal level, the funds supporting each are very different.  Please know that our School Nutrition Program funding from the federal government will remain in place even if the government remains shut down.  

The SNAP program, whose funding will end next month if the government remains shut down, provides direct nutrition assistance to families who are in need.  For many families who rely on SNAP benefits, the loss of funds will likely have significant impacts.  

As a school system, we are here to support all of our families, especially during these difficult times.  School meals will remain free.  We also operate our school backpack program, which can help families with snacks and/or meals over the weekend.  Please see the flyer below for more information, and please do not be bashful about reaching out to our schools for support if you need it.  These conversations can be kept confidential.

I will also share the flyer below, created by our friends at Full Plates Full Potential, to help families who may be worried about putting food on the table during the government shutdown.  When it talks about reaching out to your local food pantries, don't forget about the Gorham Food Pantry. They are such an incredible resource to our community and are also here to help!

Families may also consider using the Emergency Food Assistance Program interactive map to find food pantries and banks throughout Cumberland County.

At the end of the day, if you are experiencing food insecurity, please reach out. We will do our best to connect you with resources in our community. 

COMMUNITY BLOG SURVEY RESULTS SHARED!

Thank you to the 144 folks who responded to my last blog post survey.  In that blog, I offered people the opportunity to share any questions or curiosities they have about the school system, as well as any topics they might want me to write about in future blogs!  We had parents, staff, and community members respond with their thoughts!

When participants responded to the prompt, "What Questions or Curiosities do you have about our school system right now?" we had lots of great topics pop up.  A summary generated by A.I. is below.  

Responses address a range of pressing issues, including the status and planning of new high school construction, the need for more inclusive environments, and improvements in traffic safety near schools. Queries about staff well-being amid federal government changes, special education impacts, and test score improvements reflect ongoing educational challenges. Questions also address AI integration, critical and creative thinking education, and growth management, with concerns about classroom overcrowding, overpopulation effects, and administrative staffing. Additionally, communication consistency, grading practices, parking expansion, and safety measures are highlighted, along with broader town-planning impacts. Some express satisfaction with Gorham schools despite these challenges.

Several themes emerged from the responses regarding the types of questions folks have about our schools.  Those themes are summarized as follows:

1.  Infrastructure and Growth

2.  Safety and Security

3.  Academic Standards & Testing

4. Staff and Support

When participants responded to the prompt of:  What topics would you like me to address in upcoming blogs we also had a lot of great topics come up.  An A.I. generated summary of those topics is below:

The responses suggest a wide range of interests for the Superintendent’s Blogs, including technology use in schools, safety protocols, special education, and multicultural inclusivity. Contributors are eager for updates on budget plans, building projects, and staff collaboration. The community seeks greater support for parents regarding technology at home, volunteering opportunities, and mental health resources. Other suggestions include highlighting student achievements, art programs, and outdoor learning, while some express concerns over academic performance, cost management, and administrative decisions. The calls for transparency and community involvement reflect a desire for engagement with future changes and developments within the school district.

Again, several themes emerged from the responses regarding the topics folks want added to my blog posts.  Those blog topic themes are summarized as follows:

1.  Technology Use

2.  Safety and Security

3.  School Funding and Budgets

4.  Community Involvement

5.  Events and Achievements

Of course, there were lots of specific questions and thoughts that created these themes, which will be great for helping me craft some interesting blog topics moving forward!  

My plan at this point is to include one or two pieces in each of my upcoming blog posts related to this survey.  One will focus on a topic that folks indicated interest in, and the other will focus on answering specific questions/curiosities or sets of questions/curiosities.  Then, each month or so, I plan to reopen the survey to gather more questions/curiosities, and topics folks want to hear about, and keep going from there! This will help make these blog posts more informative and interactive for parents/families and community members of Gorham! 

No time like the present to start!  Here we go!

QUESTIONS AND CURIOSITIES:  SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE & GROWTH

Five major questions from survey participants led to this theme.  Those questions can be seen below:

1.  What is the status of a new high school?  When do we anticipate there will be a plan?

2.  How will the schools handle the unchecked growth of the town?

3.  How will the schools handle continued growth in student population?

4.  I'm curious with the growing number of students what does the future look like for better parking at the high school?  

5.  While the schools address issues around a growing community, what are the plans to keep class sizes manageable?

WOW - some really great questions!  I'm going to take a wack at BRIEFLY answering each below, but know that each one of these questions is complex and there is a lot more behind my answers than I can explain in a brief blog post.  So please follow up with any questions you have!  Here goes!☺

What is the status of the new high school?  When do we anticipate there will be a plan?

We applied to the state in the last round of capital applications, and the highest rankings we got were #19 in the state for "need", and this was for our elementary applications.  Our high school ranked only #42 on the priority list.  You can view the full list HERE, but the bottom line is that it is clear we will NOT be receiving capital funding from the state for a new high school or elementary school anytime within the next 10 years.

So now what?  First, we have already received voter approval and have started a capital project at GHS to add space.  This was approved by voters in November 2024 and will expand the high school cafeteria and add a total of 7 classroom spaces in what we are calling our "modular expansion phase I".  You can CLICK HERE to view the plans.  This will help us as we anticipate continued enrollment growth at the high school over the next few years.  

The high school currently has 847 students.  It is projected to grow to 869 students in 2026-2027, then jump to 902 students in 2027-2028, and reach its anticipated peak in 2028-2029 at 917 students.  This is far above the 750 students the current facility was built to hold.  

The first phase of modular expansion will be online in the Fall of 2026.  The likelihood is high that the School Committee will then request an additional bond in November of 2026 to construct a "second phase" of modular expansions to address the larger anticipated increase in 2027-2028.  This is all part of our Ten-Year Capital Plan.  

There will be planning with the school committee this winter/spring to prepare for this request, so more details will be released at that time.  The "good news" is that once GHS enrollment reaches its projected peak in 2027-2028, it is expected to decline after that.  This, however, does not account for what might result from additional enrollments driven by residential growth in Gorham.   That's literally the next question! ☺

How Will The Schools Handle the Continued Growth of the Town & The Potential Resulting Increased Student Population?

Well, here is at least some good news.  The good news is that, based on current birth rates and move-in, move-out patterns in our schools (NOT taking into account the impact of increased residential development), our school populations at both the K-5 and 6-8 levels are projected to either remain the same or decrease.  You can CLICK HERE to view the most recent enrollment projections for the Gorham Schools.  Again, keep in mind these projections DO NOT take into consideration additional residential growth.  

Also, we did a demographic study with NESDEC back when the Robie development was first coming online to see what impact it might have on enrollment, and it wasn't huge.  The maximum this study estimated from the Robie development was around 100 students across grades K-12.  So not as big as people thought. Since then, we have had additional developments, and we don't know the direct impact these developments will have.  So much depends on the type of developments that they will be.  Single-family vs. apartments or condos, for example, have very different calculations for the number of children that might be added as a result.  

The good news is that we have some room to grow at the elementary levels, mainly because we thought ahead and added modular spaces to Narragansett and shifted attendance zones to point future growth toward Narragansett School.  Right now, we are doing well in this area, but time will most certainly tell the full tale here.

The bigger issues with space in our schools may NOT be increasing enrollments, but increasing programming space needs.  We have seen stark increases in our special education populations over the last few years, and these students require additional spaces beyond regular class sizes.  With more special education students also comes the need for more service providers such as OT's, PTs, and Speech pathologists, which also requires additional space.  Finally, when our schools take on full special education programming for 3- and 4-year-olds (coming up very soon), this will also require additional space in our buildings.  (Note:  More on that later in this blog)

As you can see, the issue of space is complex and requires constant monitoring.  It is certainly about more than just the number of students.   The School Committee has developed its Ten-Year Capital Plan to address current enrollment trends, but these trends may change.  We will continue to monitor this closely and adjust plans accordingly.   

With the growing number of students, what does the future look like for better parking at the high school?

You’ve seen the data above — our high school enrollment is projected to grow from 847 students today to around 917 within the next few years. Parking is already tight, and unfortunately, it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.

Before construction began this year, we had roughly 250 parking spaces on site, not counting the “dirt lot” that students informally used for about 40 additional cars. When that lot closed for construction, the town helped us add some marked spaces — around 10 near Pre-K, 6 in the main lot, and about 20 along the access road. That brings the total to 285 marked spaces today.

Of those, about 115 are needed for staff, leaving around 170 for students and visitors. With each graduating class averaging 200 students, there simply aren’t enough spaces even for all seniors, let alone juniors or sophomores getting their licenses.

Last year, we made a significant change that helped improve efficiency: we stopped assigning parking spots exclusively to seniors. While that decision was unpopular with some, it allowed every available space to be used daily rather than sit empty when students left campus for internships, early college, or work experiences.

Still, the bigger issue remains. We have minimal space to expand, and many of our students legitimately need to drive — whether to jobs, USM classes, or to transport younger siblings home after school. We’ve tried solutions like GMS shuttles (which weren’t used), and we continue to encourage carpooling, though state restrictions on young drivers make that challenging.

There are no easy fixes here. We’re currently collecting additional data on student drivers through vehicle registrations to better understand usage patterns and options. Down the road, we may need to restrict parking further as a temporary measure. In the meantime, we’re open to creative community ideas — but the reality is, with limited space and a growing student body, this challenge isn’t going away anytime soon.

While the schools address issues around a growing community, what are the plans to keep class sizes manageable?

We have specific guidelines for class sizes.  You can CLICK HERE to view our elementary guidelines.  We use the same numbers as the 5th grade for GMS.  At the high school, things get more nuanced as we look at classes —for example, AP classes that might have 10 students vs. a PE classroom with 30 students.  Not as easy to calculate class sizes like that at the high school.  Instead, at the high school, we typically try to count "case loads".  The goal that we try to use is that a high school teacher should have 100 or 120 students on their daily "case load".  This may not work for PE classes, which tend to be large, or for special education teachers, whose caseloads tend to be much smaller, but, for the most part, these are the targets we aim for when we develop our budget each year.  

I see this continuing.  As the HS population increases, we will likely see the need to hire additional staff to maintain these case load calculations.   If we have more teachers, we also need more classrooms, which is then linked to the first question above.  

Well, that is it for addressing this question from my blog survey.  I'll put a few more on the next one and keep working on these over time.  Again, I appreciate those who shared their topics and questions with me - I hope this helps to make these blogs more interactive and focused on the information YOU want to know!

UPDATE ON GORHAM SCHOOLS PLANNING TO TAKE ON CDS SERVICES FOR 3 & 4 YEAR OLDS BY 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR 

About two years ago, legislation was approved to transfer responsibility for special education programming for 3- and 4-year-olds from Child Development Services to Maine's public schools.  The statute that governs this move is Title 20-A subsection 7209-A.

What does this mean?  It means that by the 2027-2028 School Year, the Gorham School Department must assume responsibility for providing the required special education services to children ages 3-4, in addition to the services we already provide for children ages 5-22 in our schools.

This is no small undertaking and will add as many as 150 additional students to our special education programs.  Our plan is to begin taking on these responsibilities for 4-year-olds only during the 2026-2027 school year, and then be prepared to add 3-year-olds during the 2027-2028 school year as required by law.  

For the past two years, the Maine Department of Education has been working with schools to bring them on board with this new legislation.  The Gorham Schools have decided to join "cohort 3" (third year) this coming school year (2026-2027), and there is much work to do.  

I will be writing several blog posts on this topic over the next several months. Still, as an introduction to the discussion, I wanted to share with you a recent presentation provided to the Gorham School Committee by our Special Education Department that provides a nice overview and introduction to the work and some of the key pieces we need to be thinking about to make sure we do this work right.  

One piece that is IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS NEW RESPONSIBILITY for our schools is that the program will be funded entirely by the state of Maine.  In other words, the costs associated with providing these special education services to 3- and 4-year-olds will be 100% covered by the State of Maine.  

Please click THIS LINK to view the slide presentation shared with the School Committee.

Please click on THIS LINK to view the recording of our most recent SC workshop meeting.  This topic will be at the 1-hour and 25-minute mark of the video link.

Again, more information to come on this — please stay tuned!

GHS FALL PLAY COMING SOON!

GHS Theater will be presenting the play "Our Town" on November 7, 8, and 9!  Check out the flyer below for details and make sure to mark your calendars to attend!  As always, it looks to be a great show!  GO RAMS!

MAINE LOVES PUBLIC SCHOOLS - LEARNING FROM MAINE VIDEO SERIES HAS LAUNCHED!

Recently, Maine Loves Public Schools, a statewide nonprofit supporting Maine's public schools, launched a 4-part video series to give folks a glimpse of the incredible things happening in our state's public schools.  Gorham isn't in any of these videos (at least not yet), but they do a nice job of showcasing the type of learning available in all public schools in Maine.

You can view all four videos by CLICKING HERE.  Maybe you will see a cousin, niece, or nephew!  Check it out!

TWO RECENT GHS GRADUATES HONORED

Congratulations to Meghan Gendron and Madison Tibbals on their recent honors for their work to create a video and a poem.  Read the media release below to learn more and find their creations to view!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GHS Students & Teacher Honored with #CreateConnectCare Awards

[Gorham, Maine] — Recent graduates from Gorham High School have been recognized by Creative Visions for their work in Creative Visions’ mental health campaign, #CreateConnectCare. Meghan Gendron has earned a Visionary Spark Award for her video, Walking into the Light and Madison Tibbals earned the Imagination Catalyst Award for her poem, One Day at a Time.  In addition, Lucinda Stein, a teacher, has been recognized as an Educator Champion. The global #CreateConnectCareinitiative celebrates youth creativity as a tool for promoting mental health awareness, fostering emotional connection, and supporting community care.

The Educator Champion Award honors teachers who go above and beyond to create safe, responsive spaces for student expression—empowering young people to share their stories, explore their emotions, and use creativity to foster connection and healing. Stein was one of three educators selected from across the country for this honor. Meghan and Madison were alongside 55 youth awardees whose work spans Literary Arts, Media Arts, Performing Arts, STEM, and Visual Arts. Their bravery and creativity help spread the messages promoting mental health awareness.  

The announcement was shared in observance of World Mental Health Day on October 10, a global moment to reflect on the urgent need for youth support and emotional well-being. With 1 in 7 adolescents worldwide experiencing mental health challenges, the program highlights the importance of creative outlets and caring adult allies.

Visit the 2025 #CreateConnectCare Awards Gallery to view the creative works and learn more about the program.

That's it for this blog post!  The next one will come out on November 14.  Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend as we hit daylight saving time!  Have a great weekend! 

October 17 Post

Two more weeks have passed since my last blog post.  Temperatures have shifted, and you definitely need those winter hats, gloves, and jackets to watch a full soccer or football game!  Maine's fall is entirely upon us.  I know everyone has their favorite seasons of the year - but mine is most definitely fall!  Apple picking, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, what a great time to live in such a beautiful state with so much bounty!  We are already most of the way through the first quarter of school!  Time marches on.  Please check out some photos from our schools over the past few weeks, and then we are on to the information!

FY 27 BUDGET SURVEY RESULTS SHARED!

Back in September, I invited staff, families, and community members to share their thoughts on the priorities that should guide the development of our FY27 school budget. As always, the Gorham community showed up—offering thoughtful, diverse, and constructive feedback that reflects how deeply our residents care about our schools. I’m excited to share a summary of that input and highlight some of the common themes that will help shape our next budget.

There were 339 total responses to the survey.  Twenty-four percent (24%) were from staff members, seventy-two percent (72%) were from Parent/Guardians, and sixteen percent (26%) were from community members.  When asked about their affiliated school, participants were equally distributed across all five schools. When asked about their most associated grade level, the largest percentage (34%) indicated the elementary level.

It is important to note that the survey link was shared with communities beyond Gorham via social media sites.  There were a total of 3,557 independent views of the T.E. Survey.  Of those, roughly 739 views came from outside our community (21%).  However, analysis of IP addresses using Thought Exchange revealed that most outside views did not complete the survey. The results outlined below represent the perceptions of our Gorham Community and no others.

Overall, the survey responses indicate a predominantly positive perception of the Gorham School District's performance. The data shows that 71% of respondents either agree or strongly agree that the district is doing a great job, while 77% are confident in the district's ability to support student success. Most participants, 86%, feel satisfied with the district's communication, and 56% view the school budget as adequate. 

Notable qualitative feedback highlights concerns about resource allocation, the need to maintain small class sizes, and the expansion of diverse educational programs. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining or enhancing current staff levels, technological infrastructure, and extra-curricular activities. Other highlights include:

- District Performance and Perception: Most respondents perceive the district's performance positively, with 71% expressing satisfaction. However, qualitative insights reveal some contention, particularly regarding priority areas for expenditure and the need to enhance educational programs to better prepare students for real-world challenges. Concerns about budget spending and the need for a more strategic financial approach were also mentioned.

- Communication and Community Engagement: Communication between the district and stakeholders is deemed effective by a majority, with 86% agreeing. Qualitative feedback suggests that while communication is generally effective, there's room for improvement and a desire for greater transparency.

- Budget Allocation and Financial Management: While 56% believe the school budget is adequate, some respondents (26%) feel it is too low, and 18% think it's too high. A high priority was placed on budget needs for facilities, staff retention, class size, and technology. Some feedback suggests concerns about effective resource allocation, with emphasis on equitable distribution across different student groups being mentioned.

- Educational Programs and Resources: Key areas for budget prioritization include facilities, staff retention, class size, technology infrastructure, extracurricular programs, school safety, career & technical education, and special education, with 100% of respondents recognizing the importance of each. While confidence levels in the district supporting success for all students is high (77% agree or strongly agree), some qualitative feedback indicated worries about resource distribution and the need for a broader range of educational services.

The top five priorities for the FY 27 budget development process were as follows:

1. Better addressing the needs of special education students.

2. Enhance/strengthen mental health services for students.

3. Maintain and look to expand the Arts and Co/Extra Curricular programming.

4. Improve school infrastructure and safety.

5. Maintain small class sizes and adequate staffing.

Certainly some excellent food for thought! If you want to view the FULL SUMMARY of results, please CLICK HERE.

THANK YOU to those who participated and shared their thoughts with us. These results will be used in our continued work to define our district priorities for the FY 27 budget development process.

GORHAM SCHOOLS #17 FOR BEST PLACES TO WORK IN MAINE - LARGE EMPLOYER!

Since earlier this fall, we knew we had been selected as one of the top 30 "Best Places To Work In Maine" for 2025, but we didn't know exactly where we ranked within that top 30. Last week, we discovered that we ranked #17, which is no small feat! We were ranked among 30 other large employers in ME (those that employed 250+ staff) and beat out solid organizations such as TD Bank, Colby College, and Hussey Seating. Even better, we improved in our overall staff rating scores from our last participation in this program in 2023!

For us, the most critical part of the Best Places to Work process is the survey, which provides us with invaluable insights into staff perceptions. This data enables us to recruit and retain the best talent for our schools, ensuring our students receive the highest quality education while reducing overall costs.

If you want to see the full list of winners across all categories this year, please CLICK HERE. If you want to review a summary of the Gorham Specific survey data results from this year compared to 2023, please CLICK HERE.

AN OPEN THOUGHT EXCHANGE TO INFORM FUTURE BLOG POSTS

In my previous blog post, I shared my overall goals for the 2025-2026 school year. One of those goals was to improve two-way communication across our schools. As part of this goal, I am creating an open Thought Exchange link in this blog and will re-post and share it for future blogs, aiming to create a rolling conversation with interested individuals.

Each month, I use this blog to share updates, celebrate our schools, and open the door for honest conversation. As I plan for next month’s post, I’d love to hear directly from you — our families, staff, students, and community members — about what topics matter most.

What questions do you have about our schools? What stories or issues would you like me to highlight in future blogs?

Please take a few minutes to share your ideas in this month’s Survey. Your input helps shape the conversations we have together and ensures that this blog reflects what’s most important to our community.

https://tejoin.com/scroll/301628126

In order to give me time to respond to questions or topics for my next blog post planned on Oct. 31, I'd ask that you complete the survey by Oct. 29.  I will then close this survey and re-open a similar one every two weeks to keep the conversation flowing via this blog! 

Thank you for being such an engaged and thoughtful part of the Gorham Schools community!  I can't wait to hear what you are curious and want to learn more about! ☺

PARENT TIPS FOR PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES!

Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up here in Gorham NEXT WEEK! We so love this time of year! Our schools typically have excellent participation from families with many schools seeing close to 100% participation rates! It is so important that we take the time to touch base with one another during fall conferences to make sure your child(ren) have gotten off to a great start in the school year!

Each year building principals and teachers get together to prepare for Parent/Teacher Conferences. As educators we think about the structure of these conferences, what information should be shared, how it should be shared, etc. etc. etc. Long story short - we prepare and we plan to make sure Parent/Teacher conferences are successful.

As I was reviewing some of these materials the other day, I thought to myself - Well - who helps parents plan for Parent/Teacher Conferences?

Good question right? I mean as a school we send out links for parents to sign up, we provide guidance and expectations for what to expect, but we don't really help prepare parents for Parent/Teacher Conferences. So I thought - hmmm...there must be some good guidance out there somewhere that parents can review and use to think about as you prepare for conferences that will help YOU get what you need out of the brief time you have with your child's teachers.

I found several great resources I thought I'd share. Please feel free to wander through the links below, use the things you like, ditch the things you don't! At the end of the day, Parent/Teacher Conferences are about strengthening partnerships between schools and families. As long as that goal is accomplished, the rest is "gravy"!

- On this resource for the great state of Colorado, there is a really great "Checklist for Parents" to do with their children before their conferences, during conferences and after conferences.

- This resource from New York state provides a great "starter list" of 15 questions parents should ask during parent/teacher conferences. It also shares some suggestions for parents regarding what to do ahead of the conferences, during and after similar to the first resource link above.

- This resource from Child Mind Institute provides some additional great preparation tips but it also includes some great resources to better understand the research behind why we do conferences in the first place.

These are just a few resources I found online.  I"m sure there are many others.  At the end of the day we all know that Parent-teacher conferences are an essential opportunity for families and educators to come together in support of each child’s learning and growth. These conversations allow parents to hear firsthand how your child is progressing academically, socially, and emotionally, while also sharing valuable insights about your child’s interests, strengths, and needs at home. By working in partnership, families and teachers can identify goals, celebrate successes, and develop strategies to help students thrive. Most importantly, these conferences reinforce that education is a shared effort—when parents and teachers communicate and collaborate, students benefit.

I hope you all feel a little more prepared now! See you next week!☺

A REMINDER ABOUT WEATHER RELATED SCHOOL CANCELLATION PROCESSES

As the weather begins to get colder and colder, I wanted to just remind families that we have a page on our website dedicated to helping you know what to expect in the event that schools are canceled because of weather.  Our "Storm Day Information" page is a great resource to read and review.  

A few key highlights to understand:

1.  We utilize full day cancellations, early dismissals, and late start days to try and help us to best navigate Maine's sometimes challenging winters.

2.  We have FIVE (5) snow days built into our school calendar.  As we go through the year we will use these five days as "traditional snow days".  However, once those 5 days are exhausted if we need to cancel school due to weather we will then consider using at home learning or what folks lovingly refer to as "remote learning" days.  As we get into the winter, and as we see the need to possibly use remote learning days we will send specific materials home so you know what to expect and plan for.

3.  Predicting Maine's weather is hard, even for professionals.  We will always do our best to make the right call, however if you as a parent ever feel as though your child's safety is at risk to drive to school you always have the final say.  Just let us know.

I encourage you to visit the link to our storm day information page above to learn more and reach out to your school or to me with any questions you may have.  That white stuff tends to sneak up on us! ☺

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

Each October, communities across the country come together to shine a light on breast cancer awareness — a time dedicated to education, prevention, and hope. While Breast Cancer Awareness Month began in the mid-1980s as a way to encourage women to get screened, it has grown into a powerful global movement that reminds us all of the importance of early detection and community support.

In Gorham (and in schools everywhere), this month offers a chance to do more than wear pink — it’s an opportunity to learn, to care, and to stand together. Many of our students, staff, and families have been touched in some way by breast cancer, and through awareness efforts we help ensure that no one faces this journey alone. By talking openly, sharing resources, and participating in events that raise funds for research and patient care, we model compassion and civic responsibility for our students.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds us that small actions — scheduling a screening, offering a kind word, wearing pink, or donating to a local cause — can make a lasting difference. 

A REMINDER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4! 

Just a quick reminder to everyone to get out and vote (if you haven't already done so) on November 4! In direct relation to the school, we have two items on the ballot.

One is our annual election of School Committee members. We have two open seats for 3 year terms and one open seat for a one year term. Please be sure to do some research and vote for who you think would best serve our schools. Candidates are:

- For the 3 year term: Jeffrey Ballard and Lowansa Tompkins

- For the 1 year term: Paulette Tateishi

You can view the candidates's forum to learn more about each of these candidates to help inform your vote.

The second item on the ballot related to the Gorham Schools is a request for a re-allocation of already approved bond funds for three capital projects. The question from the sample ballot is below:

A one page (back to front) informational sheet has been created and can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.

I've also included a quick Q&A below using frequently asked questions I've heard about the project to help inform voters.

Question: Is this question asking for more money from Gorham taxpayers?

Answer: No. This question asks only to RE-ALLOCATE funds that had been approved in November of 2024 to new projects that were not part of that original referendum request.

Question: How can we RE-ALLOCATE those funds? Does this mean those projects approved in November of 2024 won't be completed?

Answer: No. The projects approved in November 2024 were (1) Narraganstt HVAC renovations and (2) GHS cafeteria and modular expansion projects. The Narragansett project has been completed and the GHS cafeteria and modular expansion projects are both fully bid out and well along in their completion. The scheduled completion date for the GHS projects is fall of 2026.

Question: If all the projects approved in November 2024 are either completed or fully funded for completion, how do we have $2.5M "leftover" from those projects? That's a lot of money to be off in estimating project costs isn't it?

Answer: That is a lot of money to have remaining from the projects as they were originally designed, but there is a solid explanation for the remaining funds. The major reason for the remaining funds is that we estimated the overall project costs for the GHS projects with one design, but we actually wound up going with a different design that saved a considerable amount of costs. The key difference was in the design of the modular expansion. In our original designs we replicated what we had done at Narragansett under an old interpretation from the Maine Department of Education as to what a "modular construction" had to be in order to qualify for reimbursements. After the bond had been approved by voters, we became aware that the MDOE had become more flexible in their interpretation of what a modular construction could be, allowing us to change the design of the project to build the structures on site so long as they were moveable. In the past, modulars had to be constructed off site, moved to the site and be able to be moved again in order to qualify. As you can imagine, we were able to save significantly in transportation costs and other building costs as a result of being able to design the project differently. This is where the vast majority of savings comes from in the November 2024 project estimations.

Questions: Why shouldn't we just give these funds back to taxpayers instead of using them on more projects?

Answer: We could, in fact not expend these funds in our November 2024 bond and therefore bond fewer dollars as a result. However the additional three projects are still much needed projects and if we didn't do this re-allocation we would have to request them in a seperate bond request which would require more funding for legal fees associated with a new bond. It would also require additional time, which likely means increasing the total estimated costs for each of the three projects to be completed.

Question: Why are these three projects important?

Answer: The GHS track and field project would allow us to renovate the existing track and field which is in very bad shape. Right now we are not able to host meets on the track because of its poor and unsafe conditions. If left as is, within the next year we will likely have to greatly limit even practices or use of the track for our PE students and community members as a result of the poor safety conditions. The Narragansett ADA and Sprinkler project is needed because the section of sprinklers were looking to update are past their useful life, and aging quickly. These sprinklers were part of the original construction back in the 1980's and are in significant need of repair. If we don't do this as a planned project soon, it will likely become a much more expensive unplanned project. The ADA components of this project will allow greater access for students, staff, and community members to the Narragansett school. The bathrooms that are slated to be renovated as part of this project are not handicapped accessible. The final series of projects related to Great Falls and Village are significant needs due to safety concerns. The Great Falls portion of the project would renovate an existing firelane that is in disrepair and needs to be upgraded so that emergency vehicles can access Great Falls in the event of an emergency. The Village project would cretate a connector road to the Village School Site which would allow two significant safety issues to be addressed. The first is access for emergency vehicles in the event of an emergency. Right now there is only one way in and one way our of Village so in any emergency, vehicles would be fighting over access. Secondly, on a daily basis we would be able to seperate out passenger car traffic from bus traffice coming in and out of Village Elementary School. Right now with just one way in and one way out, parent cars are competing with buses, with pedestrians, and others to access the site. Creating a second point of egress would address these safety concerns.

Again, please get out and vote November 4!

COMMUNITY EVENT REMINDERS

Check out some of these events coming up...

That's it for this blog post!  Next one will be October 31st!  Hopefully you will participate in the survey above to help drive some topics for that one!  Have a great weekend everyone!