Staff oppose leaving school system
TRENTON Thirty-two of the 40 teachers and staff members at Trenton Elementary School have signed a letter expressing strong opposition to a recommendation that the school withdraw from the Mount Desert Island Regional School System – AOS 91.
That recommendation was made recently by the School Evaluation Options Committee (SEOC), a group of citizens appointed by the Board of Selectmen in 2019 to explore ways to reduce school spending and, thus, ease the tax burden on Trenton property owners. The SEOC concluded that the cost of being part of the school system, including financial support for central office administrative functions, is greater than the benefits that Trenton receives from that affiliation.
January 1st, 2021 | by: Stu Marckoon
Trenton Withdrawal
(Trenton) â A group studying school funding in Trenton has urged the town to withdraw from AOS 91 which includes the four towns on Mt. Desert Island. The Ellsworth American reports the townâs School Evaluation Options Committee made its recommendation to the Board of Selectmen this week, and also urged the Trenton School Committee to take a no confidence vote against the superintendent of schools.   The group is not an official town government committee, and says it is looking for ways to try to save money on education costs.
MDI â COVID
(Bar Harbor) â Mt. Desert Island High School says some teachers and students are isolating after they were in close contact with someone who tested positive for Coronavirus. WVII-TV reports high school families got an e-mail from Principal Matt Haney saying he expects school to reopen as normal on Monday. He did not identify the infected person
Group urges Trenton to leave AOS
TRENTON The Trenton Elementary School should withdraw from Alternative Organizational Structure 91 (AOS 91), according to the School Evaluation Options Committee (SEOC), which made the recommendation to the Board of Selectmen at its Dec. 29 meeting.
Additionally, the committee requested that “the Trenton School Board prepare a letter expressing a vote of no confidence with regard to Dr. Marc Gousse, superintendent [of] AOS 91,” according to a statement read by SEOC Chairwoman Susan Sargent.
On Wednesday, Gousse said that his performance is evaluated annually, including by school board members, and that, “I would stand on my record the last 5 years.”