Site Selection Committee Meeting - Thursday, December 20, 2018

On Thursday, December 20, 2018, the 17 members of the Approved Site Selection committee met at the St. John Valley Technology Center to learn about their role on the committee and to discuss the 5 Requests For Qualifications that had been shared with each committee member electronically earlier in the month. 

To watch the footage from this meeting by clicking on the image below.

 

Valley Unified Regional Educational Facility Site Selection Committee Meeting

The first meeting of the Valley Unified Regional 9-16 Comprehensive, Integrated Educational Facility site selection committee will be held next Thursday, December 20, at the St. John Valley Technology Center in Frenchville, beginning at 6 PM.  The committee will be meeting to discuss Requests for Quotes received from five Engineering and Architectural Firms.  All the information you need concerning the meeting is available at this link or by clicking on the image below.  

Strategic Plan Progress Report

It has been approximately a year since MSAD #33, MSAD #27, and the Madawaska Schools Department adopted a Tri-District Strategic Plan.  For a summary of our accomplishments to date, please review the Strategic Planning Progress Report below.


Strategic Planning Progress Report

RFQ for Engineering Services

The Valley Unified Board of Directors has begun it's search for architectural/engineering services for the preliminary analysis and planning through construction for a regional Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Educational Facility in the St. John Valley in northern Maine. The selected firm will work with the Valley Unified Site Selection Committee, which is currently being formed according to the approved site selection process adopted by the board during their October 9 meeting.

All interested firms should submit a Letter of Interest and Statement of Qualifications to Benjamin Sirois, Executive Director, Valley Unified Regional Service Center, 84 Pleasant Street, Suite 1, Ft. Kent, ME 04743 to be received not later than 1:00 p.m. on November 30, 2018.

Please see the detailed RFQ by clicking the image below:

Valley Unified Enrollments

The following enrollment information was presented during the last Valley Unified Board meeting on October 9 and during the presentation to the State Board of Education on October 10.

Click on the image for enrollment slides. 

Site Selection Committee Nomination

On Thursday, October 11, 2018, a letter was sent to the town leaders of the communities that make up the Valley Unified Regional Service Center.  This includes Madawaska, Frenchville, St. Agatha, Fort Kent, Wallagrass, New Canada, St. John, and St. Francis.  The letter asked the town leaders to forward community nominations for the regional school site selection committee to their respective school boards/committees.  Click the letter below to see a sample of the letter sent. 

Blended Learning Interest Survey Results

During the month of September, high school learners in MSAD #27, Madawaska, and MSAD #33, were invited to participate in a Blended Learning Interest survey.  In the Introduction to the survey, learners were advised as follows:

The high schools in the Valley Unified Regional Service Center (MSAD #27, MSAD #33, and Madawaska School Department) need your input.  

We want to know the level of interest that exists among our students to participate in career education/special interest learning opportunities through a Blended Learning model.

In Blended Learning courses, a significant portion of the learning content is delivered online, and live face-to-face interactions between learners and learning facilitators occur on a regularly-scheduled basis.

We are interested in developing Blended Learning opportunities for our students that help them explore possible careers and that help prepare them for post-secondary study or work in those careers. 

Currently, our blended learning opportunities feature the PLATO web-based learning platform — an  easy-to-access (anytime, anywhere) technology-assisted instructional delivery system.

A list of 35 potential PLATO-based Blended Learning opportunities appears below.  Please review the list and mark any that you would genuinely be interested in.  Mark all the possible choices that apply to your interests and goals for work or training beyond high school.

Sixty percent of high school learners participated in the voluntary survey.  To view a summary of the survey results, click on the image below.

October 9 Valley Unified Regional Service Board of Directors Meeting

The Valley Unified Regional Service Center Board of Directors held its second regular meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the Madawaska Middle High School Library.  To view the meeting, click on the image below.

Site Selection Process Approved

During the second meeting of the Valley Unified Regional Service Center Board of Directors, educational consultant Gerald "Jake" Clockedile presented a proposed Site Selection Process, which was created using Chapter 61 Rules: State Board of Education Rules for Major Capital School Construction Projects and Chapter 60 Rules: New School Siting Approval as guiding documents.

Prior to approval there was discussion with the public regarding the 9 member appointment and why some school districts have different representative numbers.  Mr. Clockedile and Executive Director Sirois explained that the membership was created in a way to represent the districts appropriately.  Because MSAD33 has the smallest student population cost share, their representation was limited to 2, so that a representative from each Frenchville and St. Agatha could be considered.   The community of Madawaska represents a larger student population and cost share and would be represented by 3 community members.  MSAD27, which has the largest student population and cost share would have 4 members.  It was also explained that MSAD27 represents 5 different communities, and representation would have to include all communities.

In addition to the 9 community members, the process identifies 3 business partner representatives, 2 post-secondary education representatives, and three appointed board members from each School Administrative Unit, making a total committee of 17 members.

Mr. Clockedile also stressed that the Site Selection Committee is only an advisory board, and is tasked with bringing a recommendation to the Valley Unified Board.  It will be the role of the Valley Unified Board to approve that recommendation by a 7/9ths Supermajority vote.  Finally, that recommendation would be given to the Maine State Board of Education for the final approval.

After discussion, the Valley Unified Board voted to approve the Site Selection Process as presented.

   

Click on the image above to access the approved Site Approval Process.

Valley Unified Regional Board Meeting #2

The Valley Unified Board of Directors will meet for their second meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 beginning at 6:00pm in the Madawaska Middle/High School Library.  All citizens looking for up to date Valley Unified information should make every effort to attend in order to stay informed.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Strategic Plan Progress Report

It has been approximately a year since the MSAD33, MSAD27, and Madawaska Schools have adopted the Tri-District Strategic Plan.  Find out the progress by viewing the progress report document below.

Click on the image above for a larger view.

What is Valley Unified Service Center?

Maine Title 20-A, Chapter 123 is the statute that has made it possible for Regional School Management and Leadership Centers for those School Administrative Units who are working together towards regional efforts to improve education, while examining efficiencies to help ease the local tax burden.

Valley Unified Regional Service Center has been approved to serve the SAU's of Madawaska Schools, MSAD27, and MSAD33.  The visual below helps explain how the service center works for our region.

Click on the image above for a larger view. 

Tom Murray Presents to Valley Unified Educators!

During the first Valley Unified collaborative Professional Development Day of the school year, national speaker, and best selling author Tom Murray was in Fort Kent presenting to the staff of Madawaska Schools, MSAD33, and MSAD27.   This day focused on building culture, leveraging technology, and preparing our schools to be Future Ready.

When asked about the region's opportunity to have the State of Maine fund and build a fully comprehensive 9-16, Integrated Regional High School, Mr. Murray described the opportunity as "absolutely incredible".  See his full response to this question here:  https://youtu.be/AwJkdR_yTnI

This was a wonderful day full of regional collaboration as the Valley Unified Schools are truly becoming a team!  See all the photos from the day in the Valley Unified PD Day Album!  #ValleyUnified

Valley Unified placed on the Commissioner of Education's Approved List

During the September 12 meeting of the Maine State Board of Education, the state board approved the placement of Valley Unified Regional Service Center project on the Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Educational Facility Approved Projects list.  Out of the three projects on the approved priority list presented earlier in August, only Valley Unified was placed on this final approved projects list.

See the attached letter from the Commissioner of Education to Executive Director, Ben Sirois.

Click on the image for a larger view. 

Valley Unified Regional Service Center Governing Body and Executive Director

Following the first meeting of the Valley Unified Regional Service Center on August 23, 2018, the 9-member Valley Unified Board of Directors elected Benjamin Sirois as the first Executive Director for the center.  As part of the Tri-District Strategic Plan to create efficiencies for our region, Valley Unified Regional Service Center will contract the services of one Superintendent to the Region beginning on July 1, 2019, a position that Mr. Sirois is preparing to assume during this transition year.

The image below shows the governing body of the VURSC, including the administrative and board/committee appointed members from each of the three districts.

Click on the image above for a larger view.  

Valley Unified Regional Board meeting #1

Attached is the agenda to the first Valley Unified Regional Board meeting @ 6:00pm on August 23, 2018 at the St. John Valley Technology Center in Frenchville.

Click on the image for a larger view. 

Tri-District Strategic Plan

As part of an effort to increase opportunities for the learners of our region, this was the start of regionalization work done by the Madawaska School Department, Maine School Administrative District 33, and Maine School Administrative District 27.

Click on image above for larger view. 

Valley Unified Inter local agreement

The MSAD33 and MSAD27 school boards, as well as the Madawaska school committee, have all agreed and adopted the Valley Unified Inter local agreement for shared services between the three School Administrative Units.  On May 30th, 2018, the Commissioner of Education accepted the Valley Unified Regional Service Center.  See the acceptance letter and inter local agreement below.

Click on image above for larger view.