It's not a total surprise, they've been here before.

Maybe I'm a bit biased, because I have a family member who teaches there. But over the years, I've heard lots of stories of what it's like to be a teacher at Fruit Street. And I've never really heard bad ones. Sure, you have occasional problem children over the years, or even problem parents for that matter, but generally I only hear positive things.

So it's not surprise that Fruit Street took the top spot this year among Maine elementary schools. They've received many accolades before, even at the national level. In 2019, they were recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. That's no small potatoes. And it's happening on the national level again, according to the BDN.

U.S. News & World Report thinks they're pretty spiffy too.

This year, after compiling standardized testing data in math and English, it was determined that Fruit Street has been leading the way for Maine school kids. This is an especially great feat as this was all accomplished during the pandemic. Proving the dedication of the faculty to keep educating kids, despite some major setbacks.

Last year, there were kids at home, kids in the classroom, and teachers trying their best to navigate both. Well, it would seem they did it just right. There's been a lot of talk in the last year or two about "essential workers". Teachers have been long before the pandemic, but now the proof is on their own report card.

Other Bangor schools also did well. Cohen School got third place in middle school rankings, and many of the other Bangor schools rounded out the top 20. At any rate, it's hard evidence that the Bangor school system has what it takes to crank out smart kids. And that always comes from the top down.

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