Staff Writer

 It’s time for students in Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach to say goodbye to summer vacation.

Schools in Regional School Unit 23 are set to open in the next two weeks to students who will meet new teachers and administrators, be challenged to read more and play on new fields.

Students in grades one through eight will start school Sept. 6, the same day freshmen attend Old Orchard Beach High School for orientation. Other students from Old Orchard Beach start school Sept. 7 and kindergarten in all three communities begins Sept. 12.

Students at Thornton Academy Middle School in Saco begin school Aug. 30. Thornton Academy high school students begin classes Aug. 31.

Regional School Unit 23 is now led by Superintendent Patrick Phillips, who replaced former Superintendent Michael Lafortune after his retirement this summer. Phillips spent the last three years as superintendent of School Administrative District 61, which includes Lake Region High School in Naples.

Phillips previously served as executive director of the Campaign for the Civic Missions of Schools in Washington, D.C. He also was deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Education under former Commissioner Susan Gendron.

Phillips said he was drawn to the RSU 23 position because he welcomes the challenge of leading a larger school district and wanted to be closer to family and friends in Portland.

“It became clear to me the RSU was on the verge of doing some work that I’ve always found intriguing,” he said.

Phillips said he looks forward to the ongoing strategic planning process that allows “the opportunity to do some visioning.” The work will allow the district to find a collective vision, he said.

“It’s energizing to have that shared focus be a focal point for people to work together,” he said.

Phillips said the district has begun to look at the cost-sharing formula developed when the district was created. A committee has started meeting to look at the formula and district voters could vote on a new formula in November, he said.

Residents and elected officials in Saco and Dayton have said they have concerns about rising education costs and taxes. A bill that would have allowed the towns to withdraw from the district earlier this year was rejected by the Legislature. 

Phillips said the goal of reexamining the formula is “to come out of this with a plan that is widely seen to be fair and equitable for all sides.”

“My hope is if people can see a path forward around the financial issues, we will be able to focus on the educational issues of the RSU,” he said.

The school district has made a “significant” commitment to the Reading Workshops initiative to support teachers and refine literacy practices, Phillips said. Teachers will spend upcoming workshop days focused on the initiative, which encourages students to focus on reading and explore their interests.

A summer project to replace a leaking window wall at Loranger Middle School in Old Orchard Beach will be done before students return to class, Phillips said. Asbestos tiles in classrooms also were removed and replaced with carpet.

Dayton Consolidated School students will see a new face when they start school this year.

New Principal Cheryl Frechette said she is looking forward to meeting each student and working in a school where she knows everyone’s name. Frechette comes to Dayton from a Pelion, S.C., elementary school with a student population of 600. The Dayton school has 140 students this year.

“I love the idea of working in Dayton because it’s a small community school,” she said.

Frechette said she has enjoyed working with the staff this summer, including new first-grade teacher Sherry Colville.

“They have been very warm and welcoming. I really feel like we’re going to work well together,” Frechette said. “I am looking forward to a great year and working together to make this the best school it can be.”

The administrative team at Saco Middle School now includes Assistant Principal Tim Vacchiano.

Thornton Academy, the private town academy that serves students from Saco, Dayton and Arundel, continues expansion of its boarding program this year.

The school earlier this summer dedicated the Carl and Barbara Stasio Residence Hall in honor of the school’s headmaster. The residence hall will house 42 female boarding students, four dorm parent families and four student prefects. The school’s other residence hall houses the same number of male students.

Headmaster Stasio said the boarding program now includes 115 students from 17 countries, including the United States. More than half the boarding students are from China.

“We’re very excited about the success of the program,” he said.

Student athletes will get their first chance to play in the renovated Hill Stadium this week. The project included installation of a track field and improvements to the track, lights, home bleachers and press box.

The project also added four new tennis courts, improved a soccer and lacrosse field, added to one practice field and expanded another. The school worked since 2009 to raise $1.3 million to be added to Thornton Academy’s investment of $2.5 million.

Director of Athletics Gary Stevens said the improvements are exciting for both students and the school.

“They’ll be able to take pride in playing in one of the top facilities in southern Maine,” he said.

Stasio said everyone at the school is excited to see the project complete.

“At the end of the day, not only will hundreds of students benefit this school year, but also for many years to come,” he said. “Coming as it does in Thornton’s bicentennial year of 2011, this marks an important historical moment for the school.”

The Thornton Academy administrative team has expanded this year to include two new associate headmasters. Rene Menard, who has been associate headmaster, is now associate head of operations for the year. He will become headmaster when Stasio retires at the end of the school year.

Allan Young, former Sanford High School principal, has been named associate headmaster. John Ritzo has been named associate headmaster for advancement and enrollment management. Ritzo was the headmaster of Carrabassett Valley Academy for the past 25 years.

Steve Turgeon is the school’s new director of guidance. He previously was director of guidance at Sanford High School.

“We’re looking forward to a very exciting year,” Stasio said.