Dear South Portland Families,
As you know, the South Portland School Department is in the midst of some exciting change that affords a great opportunity to shape the future of the district. Some examples of this change include:
The opening of our newest building, South Portland Middle School, in September of this year. This impressive new school will include students in grades 5-8 and a new Central Office for the district.
Considerable enrollment growth (200 students or 7%) since the fall of 2021. We are now a much more diverse school district than we were just a few years ago.
Because all elementary schools will no longer house fifth graders, this is an important opportunity to review school boundaries and grade-level configurations of our five elementary schools. The district is committed to a review process that is transparent and collaborative involving the following:
A community survey
Public forums
Focus groups
Presentations at School Board meetings and workshops
Another key element of this collaborative process is the formation of a Steering Committee to guide this process. This committee will include parents/guardians and school-based and Central Office staff. The group will meet on the following Wednesday evenings for one to two hours:
February 1 (in person at South Portland High School)
February 15 (in person at South Portland High School)
March 8 (virtual)
March 22 (virtual)
April 5 (in person at South Portland High School)
April 26 (in person at South Portland High School)
During the meetings, members will receive briefings and presentations from district staff, pose questions to staff that can help inform the process, and deliberate options for the district. Ultimately, the group will frame options for the School Board to consider with suggested implementation timelines (that could include phasing in proposals over one to three years).
The Steering Committee will include two parent/guardian representatives from each of our elementary schools. If you would like to apply to be a part of this group, please complete this brief application. We ask that all candidates have at least one child who is currently in grades PreK-3. Applications are due by 9am on Tuesday, January 24. We will let applicants know if they have been selected for the group by Friday, January 27.
In the coming months, I will provide further information about opportunities for community participation and additional updates on this process.
If you have questions about the Steering Committee or the boundaries and configurations review process, please don’t hesitate to email me (mathenti@spsdme.org).
Sincerely,
Tim Matheney, Superintendent of Schools