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Biddeford committee advances survey and partnerships to expand after-school options; drafts Commitment to Students for 2025–2030
Summary
The committee reviewed a draft Commitment to Students (2025–2030) and backed a district survey — to be distributed as early as next week — intended to catalog extracurricular offerings, identify barriers such as transportation, and support partnerships with organizations like Apex to boost youth participation.
At the Sept. 25 meeting the committee reviewed two connected initiatives: a draft Commitment to Students for 2025–2030 and a planned district survey to map extracurricular opportunities and barriers.
Mandy, who led the presentation on the commitment, described a year-long development process that used surveys of staff, students and families and curriculum-committee review. The draft emphasizes discovery-based learning with practical applications, trauma-informed wraparound services and a positive school culture. “These are goals that are really going to remain as the pillars of what we want to do,” Mandy said.
On student participation, Superintendent Jeremy Ray outlined plans to send a survey to students, families and principals as early as next week to collect preferences, barriers and current offerings. Ray said the district will catalog where money is currently spent on activities (from athletics to clubs) so the board can see costs and evaluate whether grants or board-directed funds are needed.
Public-participant and staff comments reinforced practical needs and partnerships. Scott, speaking from the audience, said he recently approved two new middle-school clubs and described a successful bike-bus partnership with Apex. Committee members asked for baseline metrics — how many students participate by grade, gender and ELL status — and for a roster of current coaches and volunteers to assess capacity. Committee member Marie emphasized outreach and plain-language communications for families, especially ELL households.
Why it matters: the survey and the Commitment to Students aim to increase equitable access to enrichment programs by identifying what exists, what families want and what prevents participation, such as transportation and cost. The district hopes to use the results to better coordinate community partners and to pursue grant funding where necessary.
Next steps: staff expect to send the survey soon, compile spending and participation data (Dennis to assist), and return to the committee with survey results and recommendations for how to remove identified barriers.
