AUBURN — The principal of the new $126 million Edward Little High School joked about how clean and new it looks, bringing laughter from the School Committee and others at Wednesday night’s meeting.
“The shock and awe is very much still there for the kids and to see their pride, and support that they have received from the community has been awesome,” Principal Scott Annear said.
Faculty are still considering what is working and what needs to be adjusted, he said.
The state’s largest and newest high school is nearly complete, replacing the old school next to it that was built in 1961.
Annear said there are 995 students enrolled so far, 22 more than at the end of the school year in June. Some of the new students transferred from private schools, some recently moved to the area and others are returning after being home-schooled.
Regarding staffing, he said there are two vacant positions for special education teachers.
Annear was one of a number of principals who gave reports to the committee Wednesday.
Franklin Alternative School Principal Melissa McLeod said there are 75 students enrolled so far, which is 83% of capacity. There are 22 seniors. A large number are is participating in Lewiston Regional Technical Center programs, along with six students who will start a semester of welding instruction this week.
Auburn Middle School has 499 students enrolled this year, three less than last year, according to Principal Ben Wilson. Each day the school will work on a different kindness project and teach students how to argue with others in a constructive way, he said. The school also has 34 new Parent-Teacher Organization members this year.
There is a vacant science teacher position and one school counselor position, which has been vacant for more than 18 months, he said.
Park Avenue Elementary School has 339 students enrolled, an increase from a year ago, Principal Stephanie Morris said.
The school hopes to increase parent engagement this year, getting them more involved in their child’s classroom, she said, and said the open house was a success.
“It’s always thrilling to know … (students are) feeling like they’re at the right place when they’re sprinting down the sidewalk to walk into the building on open house night and meet new teachers, see returning staff,” she said.
Fairview Elementary School’s student population stands at 493, an increase from a year ago, Principal Celeste Beaudet said.
East Auburn Community School has 155 students and more are being registered, according to Principal Michelle Gagne. It’s about the same number as a year ago, she said. However, because the school does not have a prekindergarten this year, enrollment is up a little in all other grades.
Earlier this week, the school had its first Parent-Teacher Organization meeting and 15 families showed up, four of them new to the school, she said.
Sherwood Heights Elementary School’s enrollment is at 301, Principal Michael Davis said, slightly fewer than last fall. The school combined a couple of its sixth grade classes creating rooms with 22 or 23 students in each, which Davis thinks is manageable.
School staff this year will prioritize creating a good school climate and culture this year, he said.
Walton Elementary School enrollment stands at 144, according to Principal Meghan Wood. There is one fifth grade teaching position filled by a long-term substitute.
In other business, Superintendent Cornelia Brown updated the committee on the search for a Washburn Elementary School principal to succeed Erik Gray who is leaving Sept. 16 to be principal of Monmouth Academy in Monmouth.
Brown has formed a search committee and said she hopes to fill the position by early October. The committee includes volunteer teachers from all grade levels and at least one volunteer parent from the Parent-Teacher Organization. She and up to two other staff members will share principal responsibility for the school until the position is filled.
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