Last week, the MSAD 51 Board approved the 2026-27 school calendar. This calendar looks somewhat different from years past due to the large-scale PK-8 One Campus project transition set to take place beginning in June 2027, just over a year from now. Staff will need sufficient time over the upcoming school year to plan and prepare for this huge shift, the largest in the district's 60-year history. Thank you in advance for your understanding and flexibility around the changes reflected in this calendar for this purpose. As you review the calendar, here's some important highlights and changes:
- State law requires that all vocational regions have no more than 5 dissimilar days between them. The PATHS (Portland Arts and Technology High School) region that MSAD #51 belongs to includes multiple districts working together to comply with the law. As such, much of the school calendar is set regionally and not by individual districts.
- School begins before Labor Day (Monday, Aug. 31 for grades 1-9) after a couple of years of starting after the holiday.
- Per the teachers' collective bargaining agreement, an additional staff work day (non-student day) has been added to the calendar. It was placed on Jan. 15 as a staff day to assist with transition work for the One Campus project.
- Spring Conferences for grades 6-12 are earlier (Feb. 24 and March 3) and have been designated as Early Early Release (EER) for secondary students.
- The last days of school for PK-8 and 9-12 will be staggered in June 2027. The last day for PK-8 students will be Monday, June 14 and for grades 9-11 it will be Tuesday, June 15. This is to provide PK-8 staff with an additional work day to pack and get ready for the large summer 2027 move.
- High school students will attend school one day after PK-8 has finished in June 2027 because grades 10 & 11 would not otherwise meet the required state minimum of 175 days, given that Aug. 31 is reserved for 9th grade onboarding (grades 10-12 students do not attend on 8/31).
- The calendar allows for 2 traditional snow/weather days again (instead of 3). Additional weather-related days will be remote. This is because there are only 2 available days (June 16 & 17) prior to Friday, June 18, when Juneteenth is observed in 2027.
- If there are 2 traditional weather-related closures, the last student day for grades K-8 would be June 16 and for grades 9-12 would be June 17. June 17 will be a staff day for K-8 (non-student day).
Also at the March 5 Board meeting, I presented the draft 2026-27 budget. This budget reflects a 7.6% increase in expenditures due to continued enrollment increases, debt service related to the One Campus project, and increases to salary and benefits as a result of inflation, among others. Please mark your calendar to attend the district budget meeting on May 7 at 6:00 PM and the budget referendum vote on June 9.
Finally, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the unexpected passing of Dennise McKague, a long-time custodian with the MSAD #51 Facilities department. Throughout her career in our district, Dennise worked in every building, including the former Drowne Road and NYMS schools. Dennise was a fixture in our schools, inarguably one of the most reliable staff members you could hope for, always showing up to lend a hand no matter what the circumstances. Each spring, many staff members were recipients of freshly harvested fiddleheads that were cut from her garden. Dennise was dedicated to the students and staff in our district and she will be sadly missed by the MSAD #51 school community. Please join me in extending our collective condolences to Dennise's husband, Doug, and the McKague family during this time