School Guide LEWISTON In order to meet the needs of Lewiston students, the city has six grade schools serving K-6 students, one middle school, a high school, and regional technical center. The six grade schools are located throughout the city with each one serving a particular area of the city. Depending on the district a particular grade school serves, enrollment will vary. Published sources place the number at anywhere between 250 to 850 students combined enrollment. Middle school enrollment is roughly 720, the regional technical center has approximately 850 students, and the high school accommodates about 1400 students. Farwell School Farwell School is a school in transition. For close to 50 years the Farwell School building stood at 84 Farwell Street. A review of school buildings revealed a number of repairs needed to the building. Rather than repair the building, the city of Lewiston is rebuilding the entire school building. A building committee decided to rebuild on the exact site as the original building. As a temporary measure, the 320 students of Farwell Elementary are being taught at what used to be Holy Family School. The city is using the school, vacant because of consolidation within parochial schools, to maintain the quality and level of education the parents and students have come to expect. Governor James B Longley Elementary School Named for former Maine Governor James Longley (I 1975-1979), the school is located on Birch Street in Lewiston serves 230 Lewiston students. With a student to teacher ratio of 15 to 1, the teaching staff is able to give the 230 students enrolled the proper attention to help them succeed. The Longley School is also part of the Adopt-A-School program partnering with the Lewiston Sun Journal and other local businesses. Martel Elementary School The Martel School, located at 880 Lisbon Street, is named for Dr. Louis Martel, a Lewiston physician. Dr. Martel came to Lewiston from Quebec, Canada in 1873 to practice medicine. He was active in local politics and encouraged fellow French-Canadian immigrants to become active in local politics. He also spent considerable time and resources to help his fellow immigrants achieve the citizenship. Today, the school that bears his name is home to 261 students in grades K-6. Montello Elementary School Located at 407 East Avenue, Montello maintains a student body of 852 students. Montello is also part of the Adopt-A-School program, having been adopted by Farmer’s Almanac publisher, Geiger in Lewiston. This partnership between the two has created a host of opportunities for the students of Montello. Students in 4 th through 6 th grades can participate in an email buddy program with Geiger Associates. Students in 6 th grades also have the opportunity to job shadow with Geiger associates at the Lewiston location. This partnership encourages literary growth with an anthology of stories written by Montello students. Students at Montello are treated to a “Night of the Stars” scheduled to coincide with the publication of the anthology. Students are rewarded for their contributions and accomplishments in a production designed to make the students proud of what they’ve done. Thomas J. McMahon Elementary School Located on North Temple Street, the school was renamed to honor Sp4 Thomas McMahon. While serving as a medic in Vietnam, Sp4 McMahon died while rescuing wounded American soldiers. Disregarding his own safety, he ran through intense enemy fire to rescue the wounded soldiers. Although wounded himself, he refused medical attention and instead went to help the third man. His actions that day earned him a posthumously awarded Medal of Honor, the highest military award that can bestowed by the United States. Today the school is home to 474 students in grades K-6 Pettingill Elementary School Located at 409 College Street, Pettingill serves 316 students. This school boasts a new library built by students from the Lewiston Regional Technical Center. The new library has space for over 9,000 books as well as large reading tables. The library is often the center of activity within the schools with students spending much time before and after classes engaged in research for schoolwork. Lewiston Middle School The middle school is a time for transition for Lewiston students. This is where they will go from small groups to larger groups in preparation for high school. Located at 75 Central Avenue, the middle school is home to 728 students. Here, assisted by the educational staff, the students will start the journey towards high school. Lewiston High School Located on East Avenue, Lewiston High School offers a variety of academic programs to suit the needs of their students. The school hosts a fully staffed guidance department that is fully trained to help students make the important decisions regarding the future. The staff is on hand to advise the student on college requirements and will help the students to tailor the appropriate academic program. In fact, more than 70% of Lewiston High School graduates go on to post-secondary education. Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) The LRTC is a regional school located on the campus of LHS, with some programs located offsite. LRTC is designed for students who wish to go into technical fields such as automotive or building trades. The center accepts students from Lewiston as well as other school districts within the area. The training students receive is geared towards real world situations. Graduates from LRTC are ready for the work force or higher education at one of the area technical colleges. LRTC offers 27 different programs to over 800 students. These programs range from computer sciences to building trades to law enforcement. Students are placed in a curriculum that exposes the student to practical applications in a controlled environment. Students at LRTC have worked on house-building projects in Lewiston, building projects at the various school locations, and have built seven playhouses to be raffled for the Make A Wish Foundation. One particularly interesting and exciting program is the culinary arts program. Under the direction of Chef Dan Caron, LRTC students learn not only the art and science of cooking but also the practical side of running a restaurant. They do this through the Green Ladle located on Goddard road in Lewiston. This restaurant is open to the public from January through the end of school. Reservations are needed, as this is a popular destination. Over all, the Lewiston School District is one of the best school districts for K-12 students. The students at Lewiston schools routinely score at or higher than the state averages. All schools have websites dedicated to providing educational support in the form of listing homework assignments and providing contact information for parents seeking information from the student’s teachers. AUBURN SCHOOLS Currently located at 80 Lake Street in Auburn, Lake Street Elementary School serves K-3 students. Like Farwell School in Lewiston, Lake Street is also in an exciting time of transition. A thorough evaluation of the property has brought the City of Auburn to the conclusion that a new building is in order. The new building, still in the planning stages will address the shortcomings of the current building. The school will be located on a larger parcel of land to increase the play area for students as well as parking area for faculty and parents. The site will also provide for art, a kitchen, and a gymnasium. The new school will also transition from a K-3 school to a K-6 school. This benefits the students by lessening the transitions they experience and allows them a comfort level they did not have before. Designed to accommodate 300 students, the new school is designed to meet the future needs of Auburn students. As part of a master plan, the new school will alleviate crowding at other Auburn elementary schools. Auburn Middle School With an enrollment of approximately 550 students, Auburn Middle School has a teacher to student ratio of 1:11, besting the state average of 1:14. Auburn Middle School is a consistently strong performer academically, placing well on the Maine Educational Assessment test. Edward Little High School Named for Edward Little who donated the land upon which the school is built, the school is located at Auburn Heights. Like all Auburn schools, Edward Little is a strong performer in the MEA assessments. Edward Little High School offers a complete curriculum designed to help the students regardless of their career paths. Whether the graduates will go straight into the work force or pursue a post secondary education, the faculty and staff at Edward Little will provide the best foundation. |
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