City Council Meeting Summary: August 18, 2020

The Sanford City Council met via Zoom on Tuesday, August 18. The following items were among those presented or discussed: City Manager Steven Buck reported that progress is being made on acquiring title to the Stenton Trust building so that it can be transferred to the pending developer. There are some minor environmental concerns with the property. The developer has shown an interest in handling these issues, rather than waiting years for EPA resolution.A marijuana grower license application was granted…

School Committee Approves Hybrid Learning

On Monday, August 17, the Sanford School Committee voted unanimously to approve the administration's recommended hybrid learning model to start the school year. Hybrid learning is the name being given to the model that is somewhere between full-time in-person education, and fully remote, or distance, learning. Under the hybrid model, students in grades Pre-K through 4, and many special education students, will attend school in person five days a week, with Wednesday being an early release day. The Pre-K through…

Sprinklers Damage New Construction at MCS

Water damage from sprinklers at the newly expanded Margaret Chase Smith School has forced a delay in school reopening. At the Sanford School Committee's meeting on August 17, Superintendent of Schools Matt Nelson explained that, as the sprinkler system was being refilled with water, a leak caused by a broken sprinkler head led to some significant damage at the school. Water infiltrated the fire alarm panel in the main electrical room, rendering the panel completely unusable. As a result, there…

School Reopening Dates Adjusted

At its August 17 meeting, the Sanford School Committee approved a new schedule of start dates. Superintendent of Schools Matt Nelson explained that construction delays and problems at Margaret Chase Smith School and the Middle School were responsible for the change. While the new official opening day of school is September 14, high school students will actually start the previous week, as they are not affected by the construction and reorganization. The new schedule is as follows: Pre-K: Monday, September…

Hybrid School Reopening Recommended

Sanford’s Superintendent of Schools is recommending a hybrid plan for school reopening, with younger students physically in school five days a week, and older students just two days a week. The plan was presented to the School Committee at their meeting on Monday, August 10. Committee members and key administration personnel met in person at the Performing Arts Center, with public input via Zoom. No vote was taken on the recommendation. Superintendent Matt Nelson made the lengthy presentation, which was…

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