PORTLAND — The East End Community School is one of 10 Maine schools that were named Tuesday as eligible for federal school-improvement grants based on their students’ low math and reading test scores.
The schools qualify for the grant program because they receive or are eligible for federal Title I funding for low-income students and their standardized test scores have demonstrated below-average proficiency and improvement.
They are not, however, the lowest-performing schools in the state, said Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
“We are not huge fans of the way this list is developed,” Bowen said in a news release. “But it does allow us to provide some resources for meaningful school reform to those schools on the list that are interested in taking advantage of it.”
Last year, Portland’s Riverton Elementary School received a three-year, $3.4 million federal school-improvement grant through the same program. It’s being used for professional and curriculum development and extended learning opportunities such as after-school programming.
David Galin, chief academic officer of Portland’s public schools, said the district will apply for a grant.
“While this is a list that we’d rather not be on, we recognize the need to make improvements at East End Community School,” Galin said in a news release. “We welcome the opportunity to apply for additional resources at East End.”
The nine other schools are: Oak Hill High School in Wales; Fort Kent Community High School; Ellsworth High School; Southern Aroostook Community School in Island Falls; Hodgdon High School; Madison Area Memorial High School; Nokomis Regional High School in Newport; Georges Valley High School in Thomaston; and Lawrence High School in Fairfield.
School officials must notify the state by April 15 if they intend to apply for a grant.
The state will award a total of $4 million in grants, down from $13 million available last year from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Six of 10 schools named last year applied for and received funds, and about $3 million carried over to this year.
Because of the reduced funding this year, it is likely that not all schools will receive funding. Grant awards will be made by June 30.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at: kbouchard@pressherald.com
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