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Good Will-Hinckley magnet school in line for funding

By Leslie Bridgers lbridgers@pressherald.com
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- A new environmental and agricultural magnet school at Good Will-Hinckley is included in the proposed two-year budget that Gov. Paul LePage outlined Thursday.

The Fairfield school could start enrolling day students in September and boarding students as early as January, said Glenn Cummings, president and executive director of Good Will-Hinckley.

The school would admit "students who are not thriving in a traditional classroom setting," Cummings said. Through the program, he said, they could earn credits toward a degree at Kennebec Valley Community College.

LePage announced Thursday that his budget includes "a new collaboration between the Kennebec Valley Community College and Good Will-Hinckley to expand opportunities for kids who need a stable, alternative learning environment."

Expanding upon that announcement, Cummings gave the most detailed plan for the future of Good Will-Hinckley since the school decided in 2009 to shut down its core residential and school programs after 120 years of continuous operation.

School officials said in 2009 that Good Will could no longer support its programs because of cuts in state and federal aid and the recession's effect on its endowment.

After the shutdown, the board of directors was criticized for failing to adjust for the lack of funding, and the chief executive officer resigned. The only educational program Good Will-Hinckley still operates is a school for about 20 local students with special needs.

Cummings, a former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, was tapped in August to lead the school through a turnaround.

He said in the fall that selling property and securing dependable funding sources were among his short-term goals.

Since then, Cummings has been negotiating with the Maine Community College System, which is interested in purchasing land for a Kennebec Valley Community College satellite campus.

Cummings said Thursday he expects to finalize that deal within the next two months.

Cummings declined to say how much money he expected LePage to budget for the school. The governor is expected to reveal those details today.

The new magnet school fits with the governor's goals for education, including focusing on vocational training and helping students who struggle in traditional classrooms, Cummings said.

In his address to the Legislature Thursday, LePage said the "program will provide career training and prepare students for Maine's work force."

The Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone is currently the state's only magnet school. Unlike charter schools, magnet schools can set requirements for admission.

There are at least two proposals pending in the Legislature this year to expand the network of magnet schools in Maine.

Leslie Bridgers -- 861-9252

lbridgers@centralmaine.com