Biddeford principals report strong year for graduates, multilingual supports and expanded CTE pathways

Biddeford principals told the School Committee on June 10 that the district saw measurable gains this year across academics, multilingual services and career technical education.

Superintendent Ray opened the update by congratulating “the 165 Biddeford High School students who graduated on Friday night” and noting that 12 students earned the Maine Seal of Biliteracy and seniors were awarded more than $77,000 in scholarships. He also recognized the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology: “225 Biddeford Regional technology students were recognized at the year‑end award ceremony, with 33 scholarship recipients and 156 industry‑recognized certifications,” Ray said.

Principals then summarized building‑level results and summer plans. Meg Shrader, principal of the district’s primary school, said early grades saw above‑norm K–2 math growth and that targeted intervention time reached 135 students with about 72 percent of those students meeting 80–90 percent success on progress monitoring measures. She said the school met its attendance and fluency goals and outlined continued literacy and math priorities for next year.

At the intermediate school, the principal reported that 68 percent of third‑grade students and 67 percent of fourth‑grade students scored at or above the 40th percentile on NWEA measures, and that intervention groups showed “62 percent growth in math and 73 percent growth in reading” for students served.

The middle school previewed STEM+M, a new program that will run with 24 seats per class this inaugural year and roughly 140 seats across the school year; leadership said their aim is to expand access if demand and schedules permit.

At the high school, leaders highlighted expanded multilingual supports (156 multilingual students at the high school, with 106 new students matched to heritage‑language student ambassadors), apprenticeship and internship partnerships (including paid summer internships with a local utility and a Pratt & Whitney pre‑apprenticeship pathway), and a long list of industry certifications, including a 100 percent CNA pass rate this year.

Committee members praised the work and asked for more precise statewide comparisons; principals said those comparative data exist and can be shared with the board and parent council. The updates closed with reminders about continuing summer programs, including free meals for children 18 and under at designated sites.

The committee did not take policy action as part of these reports; principals’ items were for information and planning.