PARIS — Maine School Administrative District 17 is two-thirds through its three-year strategic plan. Superintendent Heather Manchester presented a midpoint report card of the plan to the school board Monday and noted that for the next several months it will be up to directors to create new goals and initiatives for a new cycle.

Currently, the strategic plan targets four priority areas: Pillar 1, healthy and resilient students; Pillar 2, maximize facilities to promote learning; Pillar 3, recruit, retain and grow talent; and Pillar 4, rigorous, relevant and responsive learning. 

Manchester summarized the goals set for each pillar along with a progress report as the third year of the plan began this school year.

Pillar 1 goals

• Decrease chronic absence from 42% to 32%.

The rate dropped to 33% during the 2023-24 school year and stands at 32.78%.

• Increase the number of students who report they have a teacher, or other adult from school, that they can count on to help them no matter what: Grades 3-5 from 91% to 94%; grades 6-12 from 75% to 82%.

At the end of the 2024-25 school year, 91% of elementary students reported they have a trusted adult to talk with at school, while middle and high school students stand at 89%.

Pillar 2 goals

• Improve school safety and security.

To accomplish this, the district convened a safety committee tasked with making three to four recommendations to the board yearly. The first year involved SAD 17 working with local public safety departments and the Oxford County Emergency Management Agency to expand alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate training.

More recently all district buildings have seen security upgrades, including the installation of new fire panels, security cameras and communications systems. Entrance security is being rolled out in stages and will be completed by the end of the 2026 fiscal year.

Oxford Hills is pursuing construction plans for its middle school and a partially-consolidated elementary school. The Maine State Board of Education has approved the site and concept design for a new Oxford Hills Middle School to be built on Pine Street in South Paris. A vote is set for Nov. 4 to authorize SAD 17 to apply to the state to fund $88 million, with $2.7 million to build a regulation-size gymnasium and stadium seating for an outdoor learning facility.

A volunteer building committee for a new elementary school is focused on site selection to accommodate students primarily from Harrison, Norway and Waterford.

Pillar 3 goals

• Improve staff retention and recruiting.

Initiatives were put in place to increase the number of educators employed in the district from 69% to 75% and improve the retention rate for support staff employment from 61% to 70%. During the 2024 fiscal year, teacher retention exceeded goals by improving to 89% but fell back to 82% during year two. Support staffing was flat from 2023 to 2024, but jumped to 93% last year.

Manchester noted that despite improvement, employee retention will continue to be a challenge as a significant number of the district’s workforce will soon reach 20-year tenures with many likely planning retirement.

Pillar 4 goals

• Increase the district’s student success rate in grades seven through 10.

The number of seventh and eighth grade students passing all their classes went from 63% to 70% and for ninth and 10th grade students from 88% to 92%. After two years, Manchester said the success rate for seventh grade has jumped to 80%, while for eighth grade it improved to 69%. The success rate for ninth grade has increased to 92% and 89% for 10th grade.

Goals were also set to improve performance rates on standardized testing for literacy (42% to 50%) and math (48% to 55%). Over the past two years literacy scores have increased to 60%. 

During the first year of the strategic plan math scores edged up one percentage point, but after the second year dropped to the 48% benchmark. SAD 17 shifted its math-based curriculum during this period and Manchester said math education consulting firm Summit View Learning is working with educators this school year during early release days and during daylong workshops.

The complete strategic goal presentation may be viewed on SAD 17’s website at: https://www.msad17.org/article/2424543

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