Winslow vying for students

Morning Sentinel, January 17, 2008

(excerpt) Interim Superintendent Hugh Riordan lives in China but his two children both attend Winslow High School.

Riordan would like to see more teenagers from school-choice communities -- China and Vassalboro primarily -- make Winslow their choice, and he is working on a plan to accomplish that goal, which includes promoting the $9 million renovation of the high school.

And that plan is motivated by an important financial reason.

"I think we have to (step up our recruitment efforts)," Riordan said. "In China and Vassalboro, classes out of eighth grade now tend to be smaller every year. With smaller classes, those tuition dollars are very important."

Riordan is confident that Winslow has the right stuff to get a larger share of that smaller student pool and not just because of the high school improvements.

The key, he said, is being more aggressive at marketing the high school's long-standing strengths.

"We have not been as good as we should have been," he said, "at informing families about what Winslow High School offers as far as programs, academics and extracurricular activities. We want to do a better job of that."