Saco school board and Thornton Academy near deal after marathon workshop on contract terms

SACO, Maine — The Saco School Board and Thornton Academy trustees met in a June 10 workshop and said they are close to resolving two remaining issues in a contract that governs Thornton Academy as Saco’s public high school: the length of the agreement and a process for superintendent waiver requests that allow students to attend other schools.

Superintendent Ray told the meeting that final choices remained on ‘‘contract length’’ (a five‑year proposal vs. a three‑year term with a two‑year option) and on language governing superintendent agreements, which are case‑by‑case waivers that can move students between schools. He said the district’s top priority in negotiating was guaranteeing free lunch for every Saco student and securing regular access to student performance data such as attendance and graduation rates.

‘‘Free lunch for all students was a staple in these negotiations,’’ Ray said, adding that Saco sends roughly $18 million to $19 million to Thornton Academy each year to cover tuition, special‑education costs and transportation. He told the audience the parties had exchanged multiple drafts and were ‘‘1st and goal’’ on the remaining items.

Thornton Academy trustee president Eric Purvis and headmaster Renny Menard pressed for a five‑year term and a joint process for superintendent waivers. Purvis said TA would continue to accept Saco students and that TA had elected to cover universal lunch from tuition revenue rather than enter the federal lunch program, arguing that feeding students was essential to equity and continuity.

‘‘Thornton Academy is Saco’s high school. We want all of the kids to come to Thornton Academy,’’ Purvis said, adding that TA wished to be ‘‘part of that conversation’’ when a superintendent waiver is requested.

Menard described existing reporting and invitations to meet with the district and emphasized confidentiality protections under FERPA for individual cases while supporting greater regular information‑sharing on aggregate results.

Residents and TA students filled the public‑comment portion of the meeting. More than 40 speakers — including alumni, parents, current students and TA staff — urged the board to secure a long term contract and preserve the historic relationship. Themes included concerns about special‑education placements, community identity tied to TA, and requests to finalize an agreement before the June 30 budget deadline.

Several residents cited operational details raised during the workshop: a board member noted the contract’s expiration window and that an extension had been used previously to avoid interrupting placements; another resident said the district had recently recorded 19 ed‑tech resignations and three special‑education teacher departures since September (that count was a resident’s statement made during Q&A).

What remains: the parties described two narrow areas of disagreement. The board said it wants flexibility in the face of changing state policies and data‑driven oversight; TA argued that a five‑year term is needed for program planning and financial stability and that waiver decisions should be collaborative rather than unilateral.

Votes at a glance: the board approved meeting minutes from May 27 by roll call (7‑0); it voted to add the TA workshop to the agenda (7‑0); late in the meeting it approved several personnel hires for the 2026–27 school year (7‑0) and adjourned at about 10:59 p.m.

What happens next: negotiators on both sides said they expected talks to resume within days and repeatedly held up June 30 as the date by which an unresolved contract could raise further legal or scheduling questions. Several board members and TA leaders said an extension of the current contract would remain an option if more time was needed to finalize language.

Representatives asked both sides to return ‘‘in good faith and in confidence’’ to complete the work. State Representative Marshall Archer, who addressed the meeting, said Maine law (Title 20‑A) already provides a framework balancing a private academy’s admissions autonomy and a public district’s accountability, and urged the parties to use that framework to find common ground.

The board closed the meeting after an extended public comment period. Negotiators described the remaining issues as resolvable and urged continued, prompt talks so families and students have certainty for next school year.