By Adam Kernan-Schloss
Coinciding with Maine’s June 9 primary election, Phippsburg voters will get the chance to weigh in on whether to close the town’s elementary school and send its 100-plus students to a new regional school being built in Bath.
The proposal came from Regional School Unit 1, the district that includes Arrowsic, Bath, Phippsburg and Woolwich. If an April 7 community meeting is any indication, it will be a hard sell.
More than 80 parents, teachers and residents filled the school gymnasium to discuss the pros and cons of the possible move. Reactions were strongly negative.
The risks of closing
During and after the meeting, many residents said the district’s proposal would deprive Phippsburg of an institution at the heart of an otherwise spread-out coastal community, alter the highly personalized education students receive, and shutter an institution with the power to attract and keep young families.
“There are pros and cons on both sides, but one thing people should think about is that when you lose a small, rural school, chances are it won’t come back,” Phippsburg Elementary School Principal Nina Willette said in an interview.
“Consolidating with Bath would definitely take away that special community feeling, not to mention the community feeling for people who aren’t in the school,” PTA President Callie Wells, a mother of two, said in an interview.
Mycah Crowley, also a mother of two and an education technician at the school, added: “Our town risks becoming a retirement community. … Phippsburg Elementary is more than a school — it is a cornerstone of our town.”
School is highly rated
Data supports the school’s strong reputation. PES is in the top 10% of elementary schools in Maine, 44th of 469, according to U.S. News and World Report, with 73% of students meeting standards in reading and 87% in math.
The new school will combine the current Dike-Newell and Fisher-Mitchell elementary schools into a single facility serving about 400 students from Bath, plus Phippsburg students if the town chooses that option. Fisher-Mitchell is ranked 173rd in Maine, with scores of 70% in reading and 60% in math, well below Phippsburg. Dike-Newell is unranked. (Fisher-Mitchell scores are impacted by a larger percentage of socio-economically challenged students and the inclusion of the special ed behavioral program for the whole district.)
The new school would open in 2029 or 2030 at one of two possible locations — the current Dike-Newell site or somewhere near Bath Middle School and Morse High School.
RSU 1 Superintendent Patrick Manuel — who served as principal of Phippsburg Elementary from 2000-2004 — told residents the district would not force the change on the town.
Supt. Patrick Manuel led the discussion
“We’re gathering input, but the decision will be made by you, Phippsburg residents,” he said. “The Phippsburg community and the Phippsburg school are special. I assume most of you here tonight are opposed. I understand that.”
He added: “This is an opportunity, not a forced consolidation.” In a subsequent interview, Manuel told the Observer: “In some districts, there is a more forceful call for consolidation, for financial reasons or (because) the school is falling apart. The situation is very different here.”
Some benefits
At Manuel’s invitation, residents divided up into small groups to outline pros and cons on large sheets of poster paper. On the plus side, they said the move could give the town and its students benefits, including: a chance to be part of a new school building, with improved air and water quality, usable space and technology; more programming and services, such as after-school care, clubs, full-time nursing, social work and guidance; and the opportunity to repurpose the Phippsburg building for other uses, including a possible senior center or rec center. Also, they said students would have a chance to integrate sooner into the regional student body; the Phippsburg school currently houses prekindergarten through fifth grade. Older students already attend middle and high school in Bath. (At one point in the late 1800s, Phippsburg had 14 schools. See photo gallery.)
Manuel cited one more potential advantage. The state likely will pay up to 93% of the cost for building the new school in Bath, but the state’s share could drop to 50% by the time Phippsburg Elementary comes up for a major renovation or new school, likely not for several years.
Multiple concerns
The poster sheets completed by residents contained a far longer list of drawbacks, notably:
- Longer bus rides for younger students — up to an hour, some residents said during the table conversations.
- Larger class sizes, and the potential for some students to feel lost in the crowd.
- Less personalized help for students who need additional support for learning and social-emotional needs.
- The potential loss of Phippsburg’s identity, traditions and small-school feel.
Many speakers focused on what makes the school special, including close student-teacher relationships and outdoor classroom time, such as garden activities, Forest Friday, expeditionary learning and local field trips. Some worried about the tax impacts and the cost of maintaining the current building once it is no longer a school. Such basic maintenance now costs about $170,000 a year, according to RSU 1.
The district estimates that the school will need about $347,000 in building improvements between now and 2037. Major items are carpets in 2026 ($75,000), a phone system in 2027 ($30,000) and a boiler in 2033 ($100,000). (Details here.) A recent energy audit recommended that PES install new burners and controls on both boilers, repipe the boiler room for primary/secondary plumbing, replace the air handler unit in the gym, clean the ductwork and install new controls.
“If the kids go to Bath and the school reverts to town ownership, maintaining a 70-year-old building will cost Phippsburg taxpayers some serious money. Plus we’ll be paying our share of the new school in Bath. Right now we have a school and community center rolled into one,” Elisabeth Paine said.
Enrollment has risen slightly
The current elementary school opened in 1958, when Phippsburg voted to consolidate the many village schools that had served the community since the 1800s (photos here). In fall 1994, local seventh and eighth graders started going to school in Bath, followed by sixth graders in fall 2007. The moves were controversial at the time.
Enrollment increased slightly to 99 at the start of this year and is currently 103, according to Willette. She expects enrollment to rise to about 110 next year, thanks to a large kindergarten class. Current enrollment totals include 13 Bath students who attend school here and five Phippsburg children who go to Bath elementary schools.
In an interview, Manuel said that under the district’s choice policy, Phippsburg students could opt to attend the new Bath school, provided there is enough space.
And the town could change its mind altogether at some future date. “If Phippsburg votes not to be part of the new school from the get-go in 2029 or 2030, but then five, 10 or 15 years from now changes their mind, I believe there’s a good chance the new school could accommodate them then,” he said.
“We’re looking for direction from the town,” Manuel said. “I understand that the community is a special place and the school is a big piece of that.”
Polls will be open on June 9 from 8 a.m – 8 p.m. at Town Hall.
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Parents and educators speak out
Callie Wells, PTA president, mother of two
Phippsburg Elementary School is a special place. People who came up through the school and students who are currently attending will all say how much they feel supported by all the teachers. Consolidating with Bath would definitely take away that special community feeling, not to mention the community feeling for people who aren’t in the school. PES is the heart of this town and losing it would only hurt us.
Mycah Crowley, education technician and mother of two
I am deeply concerned about the potential closure of our school. Without it, I believe our town risks becoming a retirement community, losing an essential part of what makes it vibrant and sustainable for families. Phippsburg Elementary is more than a school — it is a cornerstone of our town.
I am also concerned about the impact on our students.I personally have a relationship with each child in the building and can share something unique about every one of them. This close-knit environment allows us to recognize when a child is struggling and provide the extra care and support they need.
Brandon Clark, prospective parent
We should keep the school here. A large part of our move to Phippsburg two years ago is that we wanted a community to raise our kids in. If we’d known the school was going to be farther away, it would have made us think twice about where to move. We prioritized the community feeling of Phippsburg and the school is a cultural institution and an important part of the community.
Ashley Thayer, mother of one
I want to know what happens when enrollment drops to 40 or so. Prices are so high it’s very hard for families to move here. We already own property in Bath, so pay taxes in both places. School taxes are astronomical. I worry that Phippsburg taxes would go up more (if we keep the building).
Nina Willette, principal
“There are pros and cons on both sides, but one thing people should think about is that when you lose a small, rural school, chances are it won’t come back.”
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Major school projects
The school district estimates that the school will need about $347,000 in building improvements between now and 2037. Major items are carpets in 2026 ($75,000), a phone system in 2027 ($30,000) and Boiler 2 in 2033 ($100,000).
