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Saco board hears data showing 2,403 ‘Somedays’ requests; family visits most common
Summary
At the Oct. 22 meeting the Saco School Board heard a presentation on the district’s Somedays resiliency program. Staff said 2,403 requests were logged across two years, 37.6% involved family or animal visits, and the program operates on roughly $10 per student annually.
SACO, Maine — The Saco School Board on Oct. 22 received a data-driven update on the district’s Somedays program, a resiliency initiative that gives each student an annual opportunity to request a special classroom experience.
Megha, who introduced the presentation, turned the floor over to school resiliency staff who summarized two school years of activity. “There were 2,403 student requests as part of this analysis,” a resiliency coordinator said. “So the key finding is that 37.6% of the requests involve bringing beloved people or animals to school.” Staff added the district budgets about $10 per student annually for the program.
The presentation listed the most-requested activities at elementary grades: family-member visits ranked highest (especially at Young School), followed by animal visits, parties, extra recess and slime-making. Presenters described how small, low-cost experiences can build relationships and positive school connections; one example cited during the presentation was a student-driven change that added salad as a lunch option on two days a week after a Someday request.
Parents who attended praised the program. Chris Talbot, a Fairfield parent, said describing his daughter’s Someday experience “helped put her in a great position” and gave an example of how a simple event improved her engagement. Kelsey Gallant, PTO president at Young School, read a letter from another parent urging the board to continue the Somedays program because of its emotional and social benefits for children.
Board members asked how the program affects larger outcomes such as attendance, behavior and academic performance. School members and administrators cautioned against claiming a causal link from Somedays alone but said the program can serve as a relationship-building tool that helps staff connect with families and encourage attendance. The superintendent and staff said they would present NWEA assessment trends and consider Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey data to look for longer-term signals.
Resiliency coordinators addressed concerns about fairness and peer exclusion as students age, saying staff talk explicitly about inclusion, combine similar Somedays when appropriate and use incidents as teachable moments to build resilience.
The board did not take formal action on funding for Somedays during the meeting. Staff said they will return with additional assessment data at a future meeting.
