A small robot and three talented Gorham Middle School students presented their work at the last Gorham School Committee meeting. Wearing bright t-shirts emblazoned with their team name,

All SySTEMS Go, these students demonstrated their solution to a real-world problem of ice clogging turbines at a hydro power plant, calling for a bit of heat and a little robot to do much of the work. Their research earned them an award at a regional competition.

Gifted & Talented Coordinator Diane Knott concluded the presentation with an overview of the growing Student Advancement In Learning (SAIL) program. With 53 new referrals and participation increasing from one to eight teams over the past few years, this program faces the typical challenges of growth but offers great opportunities for gifted Gorham students, and their robots.

Adult Education Coordinator Kate Rotroff followed up with an overview of her efforts to expand Gorham’s Vocational Training opportunities in cooperation with Westbrook’s newly founded Adult Education program. Recently awarded a $165,000 grant, this cooperative effort will soon provide Gorham students and adults with new training opportunities, tenta- tively starting with Computer Repair and CDL Truck Driver Training.

The meeting started with an appeal to the School Committee from Gorham residents Denise and Steven Nelson to consider including a swimming pool in their plans for the High School renovations. They noted that the High School swim team has grown rapidly since its start in 2010, and that over 30 students have signed up to start a new swim team at the Middle School just this year. They also listed several reasons why a pool makes sense for the entire community. A pool would expand recreational opportunities, allow for much needed water safety classes, and provide therapeutic services for seniors, to name just a few.

In the business portion of the meeting, Superintendent Heather Perry noted that while there are no hard numbers yet, state subsidies are likely to drop significantly due to the impact of a 6% increase in Gorham’s property values on state funding formulas. On a brighter note, the Committee noted that by allowing for a very slight increase in some class sizes, though still well within the “approved range,” the district will avoid adding more than the one portable classroom tentatively planned for Village Elementary.

Lastly, the Committee voted to approve next year’s School Calendar, which will be very similar to this year’s calendar. Importantly, there will be no change in school start times for 2018-2019 but the School Committee will continue to have discussions on possible changes to start times for future years later this spring.