News Clips – March 2012

These news clips are provided as a courtesy and are not a complete compilation of Maine education news. If you think an article should be added to this page, please send us the link using the Maine DOE Newsroom “Contact

• 3/30/12: 3% school budget hike goes to Cape Elizabeth council, The Forecaster
• 3/30/12: South Portland School Board opts for 2.2% budget increase, The Forecaster
• 3/30/12: South Portland students take aim at robotics championship in St. Louis, The Forecaster
• 3/30/12: Add AP classes, sports to possible Brunswick school budget cuts, The Forecaster
• 3/30/12: School voucher bill awaits Maine Senate vote, Kennebec Journal
• 3/30/12: 13-year-old girl faces arson, mischief charges, Kennebec Journal
• 3/30/12: 400 evacuated from Wilton schools after bomb threat, Sun Journal
• 3/30/12: Auburn councilor: Too little spent on education, Sun Journal
• 3/30/12: Governor’s religious school funding bill rejected by House, Bangor Daily
• 3/30/12: Maine teachers describe how standards-based education really works, Bangor Daily
• 3/29/2012:  Underage drinking topic of community meeting, SJ
• 3/29/2012:  Rangeley School Board gets update on alternative education, SJ
• 3/29/2012:  School seniors sponsoring prom dress show, sale, SJ
• 3/29/2012:  Mt. Blue school addition, renovation project moving along, SJ
• 3/29/2012:  Popular teacher, 26, killed in crash, PPH
• 3/29/2012:  School board approves tax increase, KJ
• 3/29/2012:  Schools notebooks:  High school learning models considered in Portland, Greely frosh takes top science prize, BDN
• 3/29/2012:  MDI superintendent hits budget snag at Mass. job interview, BDN
• 3/29/2012:  Work begins on expanding Elm Street School in East Machias, BDN
• 3/29/2012:  Monticello fundraiser assists hearing-impaired student, BDN
• 3/29/2012:  After deciding what to cut, RSU 26 now struggling with decisions on what to save, BDN
• 3/29/2012:  Gay tolerance T-shirt on Brunswick classroom wall triggers wider conversation, BDN
• 3/28/12: RSU 5 budget includes tax hikes for Freeport, Durham, Pownal, The Forecaster
• 3/28/12: Peru selectmen want school budget cut, SJ
• 3/28/12: Andover school stays open for 2012-13, SJ
• 3/28/12:Questions raised at school-closing hearing in Livermore Falls, SJ
• 3/28/12: Request presented for Strong to study withdrawal from SAD 58, SJ
• 3/28/12: E. Millinocket gets first Sudden and Severe Impact payment after LePage controversy, BDN
• 3/28/12: MDI superintendent hits budget snag at Mass. job interview, BDN
• 3/28/12: Voters in Veazie, Glenburn favor secession from school district,BDN
• 3/27/12: SAT, ACT tests to require photo IDs to curb cheating, Morning Sentinel
• 3/27/12: VIEW FROM ELSEWHERE: Feds still have role in improving graduation rate, Kennebec Journal
• 3/27/12: Nine seek position as RSU 13 superintendent, Bangor Daily
• 3/27/12: Proposed Rockland area school budget calls for cutting 26 jobs, Bangor Daily
• 3/27/12: MDI school superintendent a contender in Massachusetts as field narrows, Bangor Daily
• 3/27/12: Letter: Silence on standards isn’t golden for Maine school boards, The Forecaster
• 3/27/12: Letter: SAD 51 needs to hear from North Yarmouth, The Forecaster
• 3/27/12: SAD 51 seeks input on fate of North Yarmouth school, The Forecaster
• 3/27/12: Pre-kindergarten slots among possible cuts in Bath-area school budget, The Forcaster
• 3/27/12: RSU 10 budget drops assistant principal position, Sun Journal
• 3/26/12: Brewer High jazz ensemble scores big at Berklee Jazz Festival, BDN
• 3/26/12: Student choice at center of proficiency-based learning, KJ
• 3/26/12: Maine students travel around the world in 33 feet, KJ
• 3/26/12: Rushed or cautious? ,KJ
• 3/25/12: Brewer children caught with stolen school laptop, BDN
• 3/25/12: No bomb in Belgrade Central School, KJ
• 3/25/12: A transformation for teachers,KJ
• 3/24/12:Strong woman named adult education director for RSU 73 , SJ
• 3/23/12: Maine students compete in poetry event, Portland Press Herald
• 3/23/12: Smiles for Life gives local students a brighter smile, Morning Sentinel
• 3/23/12: Merged RSU 18 pacts win approval; all staff covered, Morning Sentinel
• 3/23/12: Skowhegan Savings opens new branch in high school, Morning Sentinel
• 3/23/12: JOSEPH REISERT: Education bills would help schools compete for ‘customers’, Kennebec Journal
• 3/23/12: Winthrop Grade School remembers Mr. G with spelling bee, Kennebec Journal
• 3/23/12: Special ed instructors plead for students, Kennebec Journal
• 3/23/12: Panel OKs educator evaluation legislation, Kennebec Journal
• 3/23/12: Fair provides students financial crash course, Kennebec Journal
• 3/23/12: Special school district withdrawal committee to meet Tuesday in Byron, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: Andover selectmen to meet today on school issue, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: Region 9 board sends budget to voters, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: RSU 73 board sends $5.3 million building project to voters, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: Tickets on sale for Price Is Right, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: Auburn elementary school students drum to a different beat, Sun Journal
• 3/23/12: Bill to allow public funds for religious schools rejected, school choice put on hold, Bangor Daily
• 3/23/12: Maine school lunch program says no to ‘pink slime’, Bangor Daily
• 3/22/12:  Committee approves system for evaluating Maine’s teachers, BDN
• 3/21/12: Andover voters OK talks with SAD 44 to keep school open, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Fan of high school students to retire, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Leaking pipe cancels school in Woodstock, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Students learn of various occupations during Career Day, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Schools seek to merge Waterford, Harrison elementaries, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Livermore Falls to appoint school director, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Community center blooms in former West Harpswell School, The Forecaster
• 3/21/12: Falmouth school budget calls for nearly 12% increase, The Forecaster
• 3/21/12: Aspire Higher event to highlight seniors, college process, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: Lisbon glimpses school and town budget hikes, Sun Journal
• 3/21/12: RSU 18 seeing $1.7M less in outside funds, Morning Sentinel
• 3/21/12: Board passes school budget, Morning Sentinel
• 3/21/12: Standards-based grading caused problems at Hall-Dale, Kennebec Journal
• 3/21/12: Panel may vote today on educator review bill, Kennebec Journal
• 3/21/12: Augusta public hearing on school budget, Kennebec Journal
• 3/21/12: Charter school hearings set for Presque Isle, Machias, Kennebec Journal
• 3/20/12: Career PATHS: Portland tech school pushes for more students, The Forecaster
• 3/20/12: Brush fire chars ground near middle school in Paris, Sun Journal
• 3/19/12: Pupils study all things Canadian, SJ
• 3/20/12: Leaking pipe cancels school in Woodstock, SJ
• 3/20/12: Aspire Higher event to highlight seniors, college process, SJ
• 3/20/12:Schools seek to merge Waterford, Harrison elementaries SJ
• 3/19/12: Education panel amends bill requiring schools to sync calendars, BDN
• 3/20/12:Cuts squeeze English classes,PPH
• 3/20/12: Closed schools seeking new tenants, PPH
• 3/20/12: Board passes school budget, MS
• 3/20/12:Charter school hearings set for Presque Isle, Machias, KJ
• 3/18/2012: Lee Academy speaker tells Maine educators how to recruit Chinese exchange students, BDN
• 3/19/2012:Technology education bill could affect potato harvest breaks at schools in Aroostook, BDN
• 3/18/2012: LePage discusses school reforms in radio address, PPH
• 3/18/2012: As gas prices increase, schools take hard look at transportation costs, KJ
• 3/18/2012: Spelling Bee turns into endurance test, KJ
• 3/19/2012: Commission hears desire for online charter schools, KJ
• 3/16/2012: Westbrook to shutter elementary school, Portland Press Herald
• 3/16/2012: School budget cut worries CATC, Kennebec Journal
• 3/16/2012: LePage school choice proposals divisive, Kennebec Journal
• 3/16/2012: Greely Middle School principal wins state award, Kennebec Journal
• 3/16/2012:  College not for everyone, LePage tells youths, Kennebec Journal
• 3/16/2012:  PTO head: Brunswick school budget gets it wrong, The Forecaster
• 3/16/2012:  Brunswick Junior High School students test well, face budget cuts, The Forecaster
• 3/16/2012:  LePage presses for education improvement, Boston Globe
• 3/16/2012:  Testimony divided on LePage education bills, Sun Journal 
• 3/16/2012:  SAD 44 board dealing with air quality, new grading system, Andover school, Sun Journal
• 3/16/2012:  Nurse, teacher to retire, Sun Journal 
• 3/16/2012:  Pingree wants ‘pink slime’ banned from school cafeteria food, Bangor Daily
• 3/16/2012:  Warren to vote on demolishing old school, Bangor Daily
• 3/16/2012:  Peru, Dixfield consider withdrawing from RSU 10, Bangor Daily
• 3/16/2012:  Some schools planning to drop ‘pink slime’ meat, Bangor Daily
• 3/16/2012:  School choice, public money for private religious schools draw public to hearings, Bangor Daily
• 3/15/2012:  Teachers wary of evaluation bill, MS
• 3/15/2012:  Rangeley School Board OKs Quebec trip for 8th grade, SJ
• 3/15/2012:  Starks closer to leaving school district, joining Mt. Blue, SJ
• 3/15/2012:  RSU 10 panel to study school building changes, SJ
• 3/15/2012:  Petitions seek withdrawal from RSU 10, SJ
• 3/15/2012:  RSU 18 fundraiser exceeds goal, MS
• 3/15/2012:  LePage tells students to keep their options open, MS
• 3/15/2012:  Teacher evaluations: Differences about appealing dismissals key, KJ
• 3/15/2012:  Island school namesd after author, BDN
• 3/15/2012:  Debate over the fate of an Old Milbridge schoolhouse winds up in court, BDN
• 3/15/2012:  State Charter School Commission – Public Input Session, BDN
• 3/15/2012:  LePage’s teacher evaluation bill hits Legislature to mixed reviews, BDN
• 3/15/2012:  Waterville school cuts ribbon on wood pellet heater that wll save $94,000 a year, BDN
• 3/15/2012:  Belfast, Searsport area school board mulling radical plan to address $2.2 million shortfall, BDN
• 3/14/2012: Portland school budget elicits little initial public response, The Forecaster
• 3/14/2012: Byron voters say no to RSU 10 withdrawal until options known, SJ
• 3/14/2012: Lewiston School Committee opposes LePage’s school choice bills, SJ
• 3/14/2012: RSU 3 merges bus runs, MS
• 3/14/2012: SAD 59 workers get new contract, MS
• 3/13/12: Portland students talk revolution with Egyptian activist, Forecaster
• 3/13/12: Newly accredited Quaker school creates ‘culture of joyful learning’, Forecaster 
• 3/13/12: School costs may require tax increase in Falmouth, Portland Press Herald
• 3/13/12: RSU 3 returns to single bus run system, Morning Sentinel
• 3/13/12: MAINE COMPASS: Education reform bill’s essence is to make it easier to fire teachers, Kennebec Journal
• 3/13/12: OUR OPINION: Education reform too vital to rush through, Kennebec Journal
• 3/13/12: Crowd backs separate Mountain Valley, Dirigo high schools, Sun Journal 
• 3/13/12: Oxford Hills schedules budget meetings, Sun Journal
• 3/13/12: Research Night displays everything from Picasso to artillery, Sun Journal
• 3/13/12: Correction: SAD 58 budget hike, Sun Journal 
• 3/13/12: Poland says no to plowing school properties, Sun Journal
• 3/13/12: More programs, new teaching methods, requested for Lewiston Middle School, Sun Journal 
• 3/13/12: Bangor Chinese School expanding into southern Maine, Bangor Daily
• 3/13/12: Belfast-area school district, teachers heading to arbitration after 2 1/2 years without a contract, Bangor Daily
• 3/13/12: RSU 13 seeks input on superintendent search, Bangor Daily
• 3/13/12: Veazie residents at hearing favor exploring bid to get out of school district, Bangor Daily
• 3/12/2012: Students create wearable art,KJ
• 3/12/12: Lewiston student uses committee seat to ask ‘why?’, SJ
• 3/12/12:Education committee to hold public hearings on LePage’s controversial reform bills, BDN
• 3/11/12:More schools mine China for students,PPH
• 3/11/12:Students put to the test: Build the best outhouse, PPH
• 3/11/12:Athens debates relationship with SAD 59, MS
• 3/11/12: Program lengthens road time for buses, KJ
• 3/11/12: New head of RSU 38 selected,KJ
• 3/11/12: Skowhegan earns regional drama title; Winthrop also wins, KJ
• 3/10/12: Region 9 school to explore alternative fuels, SJ
• 3/9/2012:  Our View: Rating agency made wrong call on ‘Bully’, Portland Press Herald
• 3/9/2012:  Athens Elementary briefly locked down, Morning Sentinel
• 3/9/2012:  Man who hit boy while passing school bus indicted, Kennebec Journal
• 3/9/2012:  Byron voters to decide whether to withdraw from RSU 10, Sun Journal
• 3/9/2012:  Region 9 looking at hikes in budgets, Sun Journal
• 3/9/2012:  RSU 73 board gets updates on building disposition, addition talks, Sun Journal
• 3/9/2012:  Maine experts agree with national report that says high school isn’t ‘tough enough’, Bangor Daily
• 3/9/2012:  Berwick-area school officials defend students’ use of laptops, Bangor Daily
• 3/9/2012:  Lewiston man faces 3 charges in connection with passing school bus, hitting child, Bangor Daily
• 3/9/2012:  Glenburn residents offer no support for staying in regional school unit, Bangor Daily
• 3/9/2012:  Bucksport manager says draft school budget includes $553,000 increase, Bangor Daily
• 3/9/2012:  One in five US high school students now smokes, report says, Bangor Daily
• 3/8/2012:  Study:  Many Maine high schools have junk food ads, KJ
• 3/8/2012:  Children’s author teaches story writing, SJ
• 3/8/2012:  Oxford Hills School District locks in electric rate for three years, SJ
• 3/8/2012:  Hartford-Sumner students focus on Canada, SJ
• 3/8/2012:  Auburn school budget proposal up 4.6 percent, SJ
• 3/8/2012:  Lewiston school budget would add 18 staffers, programs to help students graduate, SJ
• 3/8/2012:  Athens weighs school district issue, MS
• 3/8/2012:  Ex-teacher sentenced in child porn, KJ
• 3/8/2012:  Updated:  Superintendent Morse’s $94.9M Portland school budget proposal, BDN
• 3/8/2012:  Frankfort residents set to vote on school district secession, BDN
• 3/8/2012:  RSU 12 receives positive financial audit following two years in the red, BDN
• 3/8/2012:  Washington Academy students help rear endangered North Atlantic salmon, BDN
• 3/8/2012:  Teachers union, Dems accuse LePage of stifling debate around his education plans, BDN
• 3/8/2012:  Former Monmouth teacher pleads guilty to child porn charge, BDN 
• 3/7/12:RSU 13 seeks input for superintendent search, VS
• 3/6/2012: Diversity Days broadens students’ horizons, SJ
• 3/7/12:SAD 44 seeking bids to replace high school sound system, SJ
• 3/7/2012: History day projects show Poland students’ research, SJ
• 3/6/12: Washington Academy students help rear endangered North Atlantic salmon,BDN
• 3/7/12: FBI investigates powder found in envelope at Fort Kent school, BDN
• 3/7/12 : $94.9 million school budget proposed in Portland, PPH
• 3/6/2012: Panel favors closing North Yarmouth school, Morning Sentinel
• 3/6/2012: Report: Minority students face harsher punishments , Morning Sentinel
• 3/6/2012: RSU 3 board to vote on combining bus runs, Morning Sentinel
• 3/6/2012: Palmyra voters to consider community center funding, school sale, Morning Sentinel
• 3/6/2012: Charter school officials studying, Morning Sentinel
• 3/6/2012: MAINE COMPASS: Anti-bullying bill would help curb threats, violence children fear, Kennebec Journal
• 3/6/2012:  Maine charter school commission sets deadline, Associated Press
• 3/6/2012: D. Brule: School closing heartbreaking, Sun Journal 
• 3/6/2012: David Sirota: Santorum snobbish on higher education, Sun Journal 
• 3/6/2012: Portland’s State of the Schools: Progress has been made, but buildings aging fast, Bangor Daily
• 3/6/2012: Brewer High School moving to block scheduling system, Bangor Daily
• 03/05/2012: Afghan student at Kents Hill; program aims to bring lessons back home,KJ
• 03/05/2012:Charter school efforts pick up speed, KJ
• 03/04/2012: Student turns love of fishing into school project, MS
• 03/03/2012: Olympian comes to Rumford elementary, SJ
• 03/03/2012: Minot elects write-in to school board, SJ
• 03/03/2012: MDI schoolchildren reading a minute for every mile in Iditarod, BDN
• 03/03/2012: Teachers pay more these days to supply classrooms, KJ
• 03/03/2012: Winslow High School senior awarded $20,000 scholarship, KJ
• 03/03/2012: Health insurance changes likely for school employees, KJ
• 03/03/2012: Students tested in ‘quiz’, KJ
• 3/2/2012: Local control of education should top state control, Kennebec Journal
• 3/2/2012: RSU 12 office will not move to Chelsea school, Kennebec Journal
• 3/2/2012: A. Feeley: Standards-based education works, Sun Journal
• 3/2/2012: Mountain Valley parents create college savings plans, Sun Journal
• 3/2/2012: Dirigo High gets ready for diversity days, Sun Journal
• 3/2/2012: Oxford Hills schools take one too many snow days, Sun Journal
• 3/2/2012: RSU 16 hires interim superintendent, Sun Journal
• 3/2/2012: Lewiston Christian school closing, Bangor Daily
• 3/2/2012: Milo-area schools get 174 MacBook computers, Bangor Daily
• 3/2/2012: Winslow student receives $20,000 scholarship, Bangor Daily
• 3/1/2012: Proposal seeks to study merging Rumford, Dixfield schools, Sun Journal
• 3/1/2012: High school in Farmington cleared by sprinkler alarm, Sun Journal
• 3/1/2012: Students find rifle in Lincoln high school parking lot, Bangor Daily News
• 3/1/2012: Rockland area residents offer views on education, Bangor Daily News
• 3/1/2012: Bangor children get new science summer camp opportunity with Camp Invention, Bangor Daily News
• 3/1/2012: Our View: Teacher’s summons shows danger of joke, Portland Press Herald