INFORMATION ABOUT MSAD No. 75

 

Maine School Administrative District No. 75 serves the towns of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell and Topsham. The District is comprised of six elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Mt. Ararat High School and Bowdoin Central School are National Schools of Excellence.

 

M.S.A.D. No. 75 partners with Freeport and Brunswick to provide vocational education for 9-12 graders at Maine Vocational Region 10 on Church Road in Brunswick.  Currently, 113 students from Mt. Ararat High School attend vocational classes and comprise 41.5% of the vocational school population.

 

The District shares the Merrymeeting Adult Education program with Brunswick and is its fiscal agent. Its offices are located at 35 Republic Avenue, Topsham, Maine.  The program provides classes year-round for adults in the greater Brunswick region.

Text Box: October K-12 Enrollment School Year Total Enrollment Student Change % Change 2002-03 3418 -76 -2.2% 2003-04 3325 -93 -2.7% 2004-05 3210 -115 -3.5% 2005-06 3067 -143 -4.5% 2006-07 Projected 3063 -4 -0.1%

Using the most recent state data (2004-2005), M.S.A.D. No. 75 is the 11th largest school system in Maine. The student population has decreased by 143 students since the fall 2004-2005 data. This reflects both a statewide decline in enrollments and the loss of 100 residences at the Navy Annex housing.  From the most recent State data available (2003-2004), the District ranks 121 out of 261 school districts in the State in per pupil operating costs, putting $7,665 behind each student. The State average cost per pupil for the same year is $7,331.

 

For the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the four District towns are raising an average of 8.28 mills for education.  The State average was 9.12 mills.  This District average mill rate for 2005-2006 is less than that raised in Richmond, Bath, Brunswick, Lisbon and Freeport. Under the proposed budget for 2006-2007, the towns will raise an average of 6.97 mills for education. The considerable drop in the local mills raised for education is the result of the additional State funding being provided as the State ramps up to meet the requirement to fund 55% of the local education costs as calculated using the Essential Programs and Services model by 2008-2009.

Text Box: Mills for Education Town 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Bowdoin 18.95 18.04 16.91 12.67 10.34 Bowdoinham 16.43 15.16 14.10 11.47 10.09 Harpswell 8.07 7.13 6.30 5.82 4.89 Topsham 14.33 13.07 12.21 11.06 9.57 District Average 11.60 10.41 9.40 8.28 6.97

A profile of the graduating class of 2005 found ญญญญญ74% intending to go on to post-secondary school.  This is an increase of 10% over the previous year.  The most recent state calculations show the drop-out rate for the 2004-2005 school year was 3.61% of its student body, above the State average of 2.38.

 

Mt. Ararat High School offers 13 different Advanced Placement courses accommodating 186 students.  It also offers 15 advanced courses in subjects like pre-calculus, geometry, algebra, chemistry, computer science and English Language Arts.

 

M.S.A.D. No. 75 uses a number of school assessment measures to gauge the quality of education provided. To receive the distinction of National School of Excellence, the high school and Bowdoin Central School submitted to an intense evaluation by the State and Federal Departments of Education.

 

In 1997, Mt. Ararat High School was re-accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and in 2002 had that accreditation reviewed. The school is preparing for re-accreditation in 2007.   The District has also utilized a third-party evaluation of the teaching-learning process called the School Quality Review provided through the University of Southern Maine.  This evaluation process has been conducted at Woodside Elementary School, Williams-Cone School and Bowdoin Central School. The middle school underwent a third-party assessment by the University of Maine.