05.08.26 - Community Newsletter

The journey toward a finalized school budget for the upcoming year reached a significant milestone this past Thursday, May 7. Following months of deliberation and community input, the School Board officially voted to approve a final budget proposal.

The Numbers at a Glance

The adopted budget total stands at $61,188,127. This reflects a year-over-year increase of 6.03%, resulting in an estimated tax impact of 2.70% for Brunswick residents.

While this budget does include difficult decisions—specifically the reduction of certain staff positions—it has been carefully crafted to ensure our core mission remains unchanged. The district remains steadfast in its commitment to providing high-quality educational programming that empowers every student to succeed.

A Community Effort

This process would not have been possible without the active participation of our residents. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended meetings, sent emails, and spoke passionately in support of our schools. Your advocacy highlights the value our community places on education.

I also want to share our deep gratitude for our school administrators. Their tireless work in balancing fiscal responsibility with the needs of our students and staff has been instrumental in reaching this stage.

What’s Next?

The budget now moves to the Town Council for a final vote. We encourage all interested community members to attend the upcoming meeting:

• Date: Monday, May 11

• Time: 6:30 PM

• Location: Town Hall Council Chambers
  
  

Your continued engagement ensures our schools have the resources necessary to foster a bright future for our children.

On 4/10/26, Governor Mills signed into law LD 2212 which requires school districts to adopt a policy that prohibits students from using personal electronic devices for the duration of the school day, This required policy will align with the current Brunswick School Department policy in many ways, but it will include more restrictive practices on cell phones, smart watches, and other electronic devices.

The School Board Policy Committee will be reviewing a proposed revision to our current policy that is compliant with the law so that it can be approved by the Board in the summer and implemented in August. For more information on the law, the proposed policy, or the timeline of implementation, contact Assistant Superintendent Shawn Lambert (slambert@brunswicksd.org).

Election Day is June 9th. Voting is located at the Brunswick Rec Center, 220 Neptune Drive.

The School Budget Referendum, Region 10 Referendum and State Primary are on the ballot.

Absentee Ballots are available starting Tuesday, May 12th.

“I’ve tried a lot of other fish and this is my favorite fish so far.” said one student, referring to the local monkfish on the menu at the Brunswick Junior High School last week. “I really really really really really loved it!” said another. Monkfish, the fish they were sampling, is a locally harvested groundfish that lives in a habitat similar to more familiar groundfish like haddock and pollock, but that is often overlooked as a delicious source of healthy protein.

The monkfish that was being served in the BJHS cafeteria was donated through Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA’s) Fishermen Feeding Mainers (FFM) program which provides free groundish filets to schools and food banks throughout the state and helps to stabilize markets for Maine fishermen. Chef Noly Lopez of Yarmouth’s Gather restaurant, and also a BSD parent, volunteered to cook up the monkfish in a delicious preparation to serve BJHS students. “Monkfish a la plancha” (marinated monkfish bites) were served on tortilla chips with homemade mango salsa and guacamole. Students who tried it filled the sample board with thumbs up, hearts and exclamation points.

This wasn’t the first time that some of these students had tried monkfish. Maine Coast Monkfish Stew, has been on the menu at BJHS as well as the High School. This is one of the ready-to-serve products that MCFA is working with seafood businesses to create. BSD is one of the partner districts in this project, so students here have been among the first in the state to provide feedback on the recipes. Other students in the district have sampled two other soups produced by Greene, Maine’s Hurricane’s Premium Soups & Chowders Sweet Potato Pollock Soup and Hake Corn Chowder, and also Flounder Fish Cakes and tots made by Rockport-based Graffam Bros Seafood. Students at Region 10 have been involved as well, developing recipes using local seafood that will soon be sampled in the district.

MCFA would like to extend a big thank you to Chef Lopez for creating a delicious dish and also to all of the staff and students in the Brunswick School District for a great school year working together to introduce more students to a healthy source of local protein that also supports our coastal communities. They look forward to more samplings in the district this spring and into the next school year. Tying the food that students eat to the place where they live is a real way to build appreciation of the value of Maine’s fishing industry as to feed our students healthy meals.

Register now for the delegate selection lottery! Registration closes on SUNDAY, MAY 10.

The Assembly will bring together 64 Mainers, ages 16-109, to learn about education in Maine and then answer this important question:

· "What actions should our next governor and the legislature prioritize to improve PK-12 education in Maine?"

Why does this matter?

• A bipartisan Legislative Strategy Team has committed to taking the priorities directly in strategy work with MEPRI in Fall 2026.
• Gubernatorial candidates will be invited to USM to respond in a live session, keeping education at the top of their agenda.
• We are facing increasing pressures on multiple fronts across the state; this event is designed to jump start strategic support at the state level.
  
  

Details: June 17 and 18, Bangor and August 28, virtual

• $750 stipend plus hotel and meals covered
• Students will have dedicated on-site support
• Hosted by University of Southern Maine, MEPRI and CEPARE staff
• Mainers will be randomly selected to represent a diversity of ages, geography, political leaning, schooling levels, gender, and race/ethnicity.
• NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
  
  

Link to register for the lottery:

• https://bit.ly/apply-delegate-maine
• Selection on Monday, May 11!

TEAN is hosting a Spring Drive from May 22nd to May 31st for the following items:

Sneakers, Boots, Cleats Size 2 to Adults

Winter Gear (Coats, Snowpants, Hats, Gloves) Little kids to High School

Dropoff Locations:

KFS, HBS, BJHS (During Business Hours)

Wild Oats (During Business Hours)

Coffin School Front Entrance (BROWN BOX OUT FRONT) Anytime

Brunswick Community Education Foundation (BCEF) invites you to a Spring Carnival! Thursday, May 14th from 4-6 PM at Harriet Beecher Stowe School. Come have some fun! There will be games, food, music, a raffle and a book-mobile!

We are still accepting Pre-K applications for SY26-27. Please click here to apply!

Kendra Smith

Fourth Grade Teacher
HBS

Kendra grew up in in Greenville and Old Town, Maine. She attended Old Town High School and graduated from University of Maine (undergrad) and Colorado college (grad school). Kendra's family includes her husband, Austin, a daughter Adeline at HBS and son Jonah at KFS.

What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud

I am proud to work in Brunswick alongside incredible educators, serving the same community where I live and where my children attend school!

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I love to read, bake, exercise, enjoy the great outdoors, and go on adventures with my family!

Favorite line from a movie?

I prefer books to movies, and this quote from Fredrik Backman's My Friends inspires me in my day-to-day work: "The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them."

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

Jane Goodall

What is something you learned in the last week?

This past week I re-learned how I am a much better educator when I am relaxed and let myself have fun with my students!

Kathy Tuttle

Physical Education Teacher

BHS

How long have you been with BSD?

41 years

What do you enjoy most about working at BSD?

I absolutely love working with students. It has been a privilege to have had so many over the past years. If I look back and tally there probably have been over 5000. Each student comes in with a different story and I love getting to know them and watch them grow from their freshmen to senior year. I get to bond and connect with a large majority and become part of their high school life.

I have also been honored to work with some many talented colleagues and have made so many lasting friendships. Brunswick High School has been the only school I have ever taught at. I have enjoyed my years so much that I have never left!

What do you plan to do on your first day of retirement?

Ohhhh there are so many choices. I will not say sleep in because I am an early morning riser. It will be nice not to have to commute from Portland. I will probably go to breakfast with several of my retired high school friends and spend my day without having it relegated to a bell.

What do you look forward to most in your retirement years?

I look forward to spending time with family and friends, reading throughout the day, taking long walks, floating at the lake and traveling not on school vacation week!

Tell us about one of your most memorable moments while working in Brunswick.

I have been here so many years that I do not have one specific memory that stands out, No day was ever the same which made my job so fun. I am very proud of our students and their successes and accomplishments and I hope that I have made a difference in their lives. I enjoy when I see students in their young adult or adult lives become productive members of our community. Over the past many years I have also had the opportunity to have their children.

I also hope that they have enjoyed something in Physical Education that they will continue throughout a lifetime.

Open Employment Positions:

• Anticipated World Languages Teacher - Brunswick Jr High School
• Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated High School English Teacher - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated 1-yr High School English Teacher - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated Life Science Teacher - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated Math Teacher - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated Physical Education Teacher - Brunswick High School
• Anticipated Primary Classroom Teachers (K-2) - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Anticipated PreK Teacher - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Anticipated 6th Grade Teacher - Brunswick Junior High School
• Anticipated Director of Instrumental Music - Brunswick Junior High School
• Special Education Teacher - Elementary Grades
• Pre-K Special Education Teacher - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Long Term Substitute Fourth Grade Teacher - Harriet Beecher Stowe School
• Long Term Substitute School Guidance Counselor - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Long Term Substitute PreK Teacher - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• ESY (Extended School Year) Positions - District
  Nurse, Teachers, Ed Techs, Speech Pathologist, Subs
• Lunch Aides- Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Long Term Sub: PreK Ed Tech - Kate Furbish School
• Self Contained Behavior Ed Tech - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Long Term Sub Ed Tech - Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Coaching Positions have been posted! Brunswick High and Brunswick Jr. High School
• Field Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Cross Country, Track, - Check them all out!
• Substitute Nurses, Teachers, Ed Techs, Tutors
• School Bus Drivers!!
• Apprentice/Ed Tech I & Bus Aides
• Substitute Bus Drivers, Van Drivers, & Custodians
• ...And MORE!

We're hiring for multiple positions. Visit our website to view

all current employment opportunities!

You can view previous newsletters on our website!

If you are currently not receiving the Community Newsletter and would like to, or if you would like to unsubscribe from the newsletter email Billie Jo Wallace at bwallace@brunswicksd.org