Dear Wiscasset Schools Community,
We are passing multiple milestones during the next two weeks: High School graduation last Thursday, Pre-K graduation last Friday, 5th grade Graduation on Friday, June 12th, 8th Grade Promotion on Monday June 15th. At Senior Awards night, our seniors received over $121,000 in awards and scholarships that will springboard them into their next chapter. It was an emotionally charged ceremony honoring the grit and resilience of our soon-to-be Wiscasset alum.
Speaking of Alumni, we also celebrated the 110th Wiscasset Alumni banquet last Saturday. Alumni celebrated and honored the class of 2026 and shared their words of advice and hope for the future. The Wiscasset tradition is strong here, just like we are.
In the midst of this joyous graduation season and as we approach the last day of school on June 18th, I need you to know that I have not lost sight of community concerns about recent events at Wiscasset Middle High School. You entrust us with your children’s safety during the school day, and we are taking these concerns seriously.
Over the past two weeks I have reviewed many of our building and district processes - this work is ongoing, but I want to share some next steps as they develop:
New Policy re: Separation of Middle and High School Students
Wiscasset School Department does not have a written policy that governs how our middle and high schools coexist in the building. We will establish a ‘Two Schools Beneath One Roof Committee’ to examine the issues resulting from use of communal areas to times when middle and high school students cross paths (band, theater, athletics <8th graders 'playing up'>, etc.).
This committee will develop a formal recommendation to the School Committee. This work should commence July 1st. The committee will include:
Wiscasset School Committee Policy Sub-committee
WMHS school administration
superintendent
middle school teacher(s)
high school teacher(s)
parent(s)
Safety Audit
I have reached out to Maine Department of Education’s School Safety and Security Coordinator to arrange a site assessment for general building management and safety protocols for our school district's two schools, Wiscasset Elementary School and Wiscasset Middle High School.
Virtual Town Halls
We are planning a series of Virtual Town Halls to answer community questions and concerns about school policies, procedures, and other protocols. These will enable our families to bring questions and concerns to a group meeting to be heard and addressed together. These Town Halls can be recorded and posted on our website and FAQ sheets can be generated from them. I am hopeful these Town Halls will involve parents and guardians in our process planning and ultimately improve communications.
I will update the community as this work is being done, in the interest of full transparency.
School Budget Vote
On June 9th, the School Budget Validation vote will take place at the Wiscasset Community Center from 8am - 8pm. Please come out to vote on the budget so that we can turn the page and move forward on our path to continuous improvement.
Thank you for your patience and your partnership.
Kim Andersson
Superintendent of Schools