Bangor School Committee Votes To Adopt ‘School Within School’ Model For Fairmount Students

The Bangor School Committee voted unanimously this week to adopt Option 2:  'School Within A School' model. Thursday evening's vote will send Fairmount Students to a space at Bangor High School next year, as a temporary fix to the Fairmount problem.

Earlier this spring, the Bangor School District announced that they'd discovered asbestos while preparing for roof renovations at the Fairmount School on 13th Street. The Fairmount facility has traditionally housed 4th and 5th graders, but the asbestos abatement process would require the entire school to vacate for the upcoming school year.  A quick decision had to be made on what to do with all the students, staff, and teachers.

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Initially, Bangor Superintendent, Dr. Marie Robinson, sent a message out to parents that the entire population of Fairmount would have to relocate and that a plan would soon be announced.

This message was met with public outcry from many parents and residents who felt they had been left out of the conversation and decision-making process, and called for transparency within the administration. So at the following School Committee meeting, at the suggestion of  Superintendent Robinson, the committee voted to table making a final call about what to do until the public was afforded an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns. Two separate listening sessions were scheduled,  one at the Doughty School and one at the William S. Cohen School. Those took place on May 18th. A survey was also sent out to parents with several suggested options, allowing them to weigh in on the situation.

When the School Committee met again on this Thursday evening, they spent more time listening to public comments about the different options that had been put forth.

Following public comments, Superintendent Robinson shared her thoughts and made the recommendation for Option 2: The 'School Within A School' model.

"This plan would move the entire Fairmount School community—both students and teachers—into an isolated wing of Bangor High School. "

She elaborated that the 4th and 5th-grade students would be housed in a secure and separate space on the ground floor of the Bangor High Campus for one year. They would have a dedicated space in the  "A" wing, with a separate entrance and separate bathrooms. There was mention of key-card access to the space and alarms.

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Then committee members spoke at length, each addressing concerns brought up by parents and voicing their own questions, worries, and hopes for the new resolution. ]

Then the vote was taken, and Option 2 passed 7-0.

After the vote, members of the School Committee and the Superintendent mentioned putting forth a united front to make this transition as positive as possible for all involved, including staff, students, and parents. They also reiterated their appreciation for all who offered comments on the matter, and their commitment, going forward, to collaborate with the public, especially as plans for what to do beyond the next school year are discussed.

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Superintendent Robinson says that in the coming weeks, she will release a more detailed strategic plan and post it on the Bangor School Department's website.  The plan, she says, will address the issues parents raised, about safety, busing, what the layout will look like, and the logistics of how this temporary resolution will be executed. There are also plans in the works for Open Houses for Fairmount families to be held in August, so they can get the lay of the land, once things are organized. Members of the School Committee also suggested the creation of a plan for outreach to inform all parents in the City of the coming changes before the new school year starts in the fall.