Public Information and Announcements

We hope this communication finds you well. Below are some updates and new information regarding our elementary building project, COVID-19 related topics and some opportunities for students to take part in some engaging activities during the summer.

District Superintendent Jonathan Moody presented before the State Construction Committee on April 29th. Committee members asked questions and scrutinized the district's Consolidated Elementary School project. The Project, which is funded primarily with state dollars, was commended for its scope and design. The project will go before the State Board of Education at their next meeting in May.

I hope that the first few days of the school vacation have been going well for you and your families. This communication is meant to inform you of future changes to our pooled testing program, the upcoming community meeting regarding the MSAD54 elementary building project, and an update on cases of COVID-19 in our district.

The concept design phase of the MSAD 54 elementary building project is winding down after a year of feedback from staff and the community, including feedback gathered at numerous public meetings and through a community-wide digital survey. The updated concept design plans can be found here: https://bit.ly/3hW1ERK  

On Thursday, April 28th, at 6:00 in the High School Auditorium, the district will be holding a presentation and update on the building project. This will include a presentation by the architects and engineers, discussion of the concept design and budget, and will conclude with a straw-poll vote to support the project. Following the meeting, the State Board of Education will consider the project for funding. The project, which is nearly entirely state funded, will have a tremendous positive impact educationally for the district for years to come. We hope to see you on the 28th!

Last week we had Judge Broderick come to speak to our 7th–12th grade students about reducing the stigma of mental health. He shared his story and answered questions. In the evening he joined a group of parents to share a similar message. We know that a number of families wanted to attend but were unable to make it to the high school. Please watch the following video to hear his message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a1Q-nPWKKs

Last week we had 21 new cases of COVID-19. These cases impacted students and/or staff at Canaan Elementary School (3 cases), Bloomfield Elementary School (1 case), Mill Stream Elementary School (4 cases), Margaret Chase Smith School (4 cases), and Skowhegan Area Middle School (9 cases).

It has been a great week and the first days of masking being a choice has gone exceptionally well. I want to take a moment to thank all of our staff, students and families for your continued support of each other through this transition. Everyone has been great about talking through situations and making adjustments to respect everyone's needs. We appreciate all the conversations families had in preparation for the move and feel that it has had a positive effect.

MSAD 54's most recent updated concept design plans.  The District Building Committee anticipates the Concept Design phase to receive DOE support in early April and expects to have plans to the State Board of Education by May, for a June 14th referendum.  The District held numerous public meetings in the fall and will conduct a public meeting in April to provide a summary of Concept Design including the updated plans and scope of the project.