Community Newsletter

Dear Brunswick Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

As we settle into a school routine, I'd like to highlight one area that continues to be challenging - Pupil Transportation.

School districts in Maine and the nation have struggled — and often failed — to find enough people to drive students to school. In Brunswick, the problem defies easy solutions, and the consequences have occasionally been dire - late buses merged bus routes, etc. During our last contract negotiations, we increased driver pay to be more competitive, and we have also worked hard recruiting. I'm excited to report we have a couple of new drivers in the "bus licensing approval pipeline," but this will take time, as the requirements to drive a bus are extremely stringent, and for good reason.

One specific area that needs to be brought to your attention is our Transportation Eligibility to Access Transportation. (Brunswick School Department has a Transportation policy that guides our decisions: Policy EE)

The Brunswick School Department provides transportation to those students in grades PreK-12 who reside beyond safe and reasonable walking distances from their schools. No student shall be required to walk more than the distance indicated below as measured from the nearest school entrance along a reasonable route to home.

Grades PreK-5: 0.5 mile

Grades 6-8: 1.0 mile

Grades 9-12: 1.5 miles

Our Transportation Drivers and staff are absolutely the best! I've personally ridden various buses numerous times in the past two years, so I feel I understand the successes and challenges our drivers experience daily. I have witnessed a dedicated team of professionals who care deeply about our students and always ensure that safety guides the way.

I am constantly monitoring this situation and will keep you informed of changes.

With warm regards,

Superintendent Potenziano

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Attendance

On behalf of all our educators, I wish to remind parents and students alike about the importance of regular school attendance. Even once-monthly absences have a profound impact on student outcomes. Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most impactful ways that parents can bolster the work we do in the classroom. When parents emphasize the importance of showing up, it helps children develop healthy habits that last long past graduation. If your child is experiencing challenges with attending school reach out to your building principal - they can help.

Staff Collaboration

During the school day, teachers teach classes, meet with students, and cover duties. This often makes it difficult for teams to meet with all of their members or for departments to meet to discuss curriculum and plan together to ensure that students have consistent experiences across grade levels. On September 6, and on early release days in the future, we are embedding both team time and time for staff to collaborate.

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Brunswick Buzz

This time on the Brunswick Buzz, Phil speaks to Brunswick Community Education Foundation members. The Brunswick Community Education Foundation is an independent non-profit organization committed to supporting students in Brunswick’s public schools. So if you are passionate about shaping the future of education in the Brunswick School Department? Look no further and learn how the Brunswick School Department benefits from its partnership with the Brunswick Community Education Foundation.

Click here to listen!