Hurd School will house cutting-edge learning center

The innovative program will be launched this year at the Mary Hurd School. Right, MSAD 60 Schools Superintendent Steven Connolly. (Courtesy photos)

NORTH BERWICK - Students will be better served and taxpayer money will be saved with the aid of an innovative program being launched next month at the Mary Hurd School in North Berwick.

The school, which formerly housed elementary school students, will now serve some middle school but mostly high school students who have difficulty functioning in a traditional school setting.

MSAD 60 Schools Superintendent Steven Connolly is excited about the prospect for students.

“This is a great opportunity to create vastly different learning opportunities,” he said on Thursday.

Several of the students who will attend the Mary Hurd School this year had been placed out-of-district in the past at considerable district expense.

Connolly expects the district will save more than $100,000 by keeping those students in district.

More importantly the students are able to stay in the community where they live rather than being bused to facilities miles away. 

Connolly said the first-of-its kind program drew on various alternative education models in use throughout the state and will include substantial amounts of community involvement.

“Students are going to be working in the local community,” Connolly said. “They’ll be doing farm work and community service, some senior citizen related.”

He said six to eight students who were sent out of district last year will now be able to stay in the community at the Mary Hurd School.

Connolly estimated that out-of-district placement normally cost the district an average of about $48,000 per student.

Students who last year attended the Hurd School will now go to the newly named North Berwick Elementary School, which has added two four-classroom cottages to make room for the increased student load.

Connolly said the Mary Hurd School staff is excited as well and have been extremely busy preparing for the start of school on Sept. 4.

He said 15-17 students whose medical conditions preclude inclusion at the Mary Hurd School will continue out-of-district placements, which cost the district about $1 million last year.