Thornton Academy and Saco School Board agree on contract

Thornton Academy and the Saco School Department have agreed on a contract.

The Saco School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a five-year contract with TA, which had previously been approved by the Thornton Academy Board of Trustees.

The agreement comes a week after Thornton Academy headmaster Rene Menard wrote a letter to the community stating that Saco School Department wanted to end its relationship with Thornton Academy and allow high school students to attend other area high schools. Saco Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray wrote a letter rebutting Menard’s claims, and last week’s School Board meeting was standing room only.

Thornton Academy, a private school, has served as Saco’s high school for 200 years. The city pays Thornton Academy tuition for its students through a contract negotiated by Thornton and the Saco School Board.

Thornton Academy will continue to serve as Saco’s high school through the contract approved Tuesday, June 16 by the school board.

“At its core, this agreement reflects a shared belief that students must remain at the center of every decision. While there were challenges along the way, the outcome of these contract negotiations provides a foundation for continued partnership in support of Saco families today and into the future. Negotiations are rarely easy, but we were able to accomplish a great deal for Saco students – securing stability in our continued partnership between Thornton Academy and the Saco School Department, and ensuring free lunch for all Saco students, PK-12,” said Saco Schools and Thornton Academy in a joint statement.

School Board Member Sarah Truman said she thought the contract “looks really good,” and noted that “neither Saco Schools or TA got everything they wanted.” She said she was very happy that under the contract, Thornton Academy students will be getting free lunch. Currently all students in public schools in Maine receive free lunch, and now with this contract students at 10 of the state’s 12 academies will receive free lunch.

School Board Member Jennifer Preble said she’d like to see the Thornton Academy headmaster or trustees come to school board meetings periodically to improve communication and collaboration.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.