TA considers boarding international students (June 13, 2008)
By Stephanie Grinnell
Staff Writer
As early as this fall, initial construction could begin on boarding school dormitories at Saco’s Thornton Academy and a year later, students could be moving into the building.
Assistant Headmaster Rene Menard said the idea behind taking in boarding students from all over the world is to offset the loss of students due to declining local enrollment, which would force the school to cut or reduce programming.
Menard said Thornton Academy prides itself on the quality and variety of instruction offered to students who attend the school, mainly residents of Saco, Dayton and Arundel. In order to maintain the level of quality and quantity of programming for the students, Menard said the school’s board decided it needed to come up with a way to bring more funding to the campus.
“This is a proactive measure for us,” he said. “This is new for Thornton Academy, but not a new idea, there are models we can reference. They’re doing it and they’re doing it well and we think we can do it as well.”
Thornton Academy stands to lose its Arundel students due to the state’s school consolidation law, which would send Arundel students to Kennebunk High School. Menard said he could not comment directly on the situation, but said there is some concern.
“With the uncertainty and possibility of that shift, we are trying to be proactive,” he said.
There are 10 boarding schools in the state currently, the closest ones to Thornton Academy being Bridgton Academy and Fryeburg Academy, each more than 50 miles away. Menard said other boarding schools in New England have been valuable resources with the process of establishing a boarding program at Thornton Academy.
The largest market for boarding students is Asia, particularly China, Menard said. Many other boarding schools in the state boast numerous Chinese students, whose parents want them to have an American education, he said. A benefit to local students will be the opportunity to interact with other cultures and hear first hand accounts of world events, Menard said.
The school’s only experience with other cultures so far has been exchange students, who live with a host family, not on campus. Menard said the boarding school will bring a new perspective to local students and more of a world view.
“They can read about it in a book, but to have someone in the class to speak on it firsthand, what a great way to bring the world to Thornton Academy,” he said.
Menard said the cost of tuition for boarding students will include room and board, classes, activity fees and possibly fees for English as a second language instruction. Boarding students will be supervised 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by live-in staff members who will have their own apartments in the new dormitories, he said.
Menard was a live-in staff member when he worked at Fryeburg Academy before coming to Thornton Academy, an experience he called “wonderful.”
Trips to Portland and Boston will be planned to expand the boarding students’ American experience, but will also be open to local students as well, Menard said.
The construction of the dormitories will be privately funded, with no tax money used. One dormitory will be constructed to board around 30 students the first year, Menard said.
Menard said an admissions clerk has already been hired to begin working out the application process.
Barba and Wheelock Architects was hired to design the dormitory nearly six months ago. Principal architect Nancy Barba said she and her team have experience with designing buildings to blend with existing ones as well as experience with historical preservation.
She said the dormitory plan for Thornton Academy may include alternative energy options, such as solar heated water, or may be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified building, which means it would meet standards for environmental design. Barba is a LEED accredited architect.
The Board of Trustees has the final say on the design and its incorporated elements. Barba said she expects to have two designs to present to the Thornton Academy board. Once the plan is approved by the board, it will have to be approved by the planning board and the historic preservation commission before construction can begin.
Staff Writer
As early as this fall, initial construction could begin on boarding school dormitories at Saco’s Thornton Academy and a year later, students could be moving into the building.
Assistant Headmaster Rene Menard said the idea behind taking in boarding students from all over the world is to offset the loss of students due to declining local enrollment, which would force the school to cut or reduce programming.
Menard said Thornton Academy prides itself on the quality and variety of instruction offered to students who attend the school, mainly residents of Saco, Dayton and Arundel. In order to maintain the level of quality and quantity of programming for the students, Menard said the school’s board decided it needed to come up with a way to bring more funding to the campus.
“This is a proactive measure for us,” he said. “This is new for Thornton Academy, but not a new idea, there are models we can reference. They’re doing it and they’re doing it well and we think we can do it as well.”
Thornton Academy stands to lose its Arundel students due to the state’s school consolidation law, which would send Arundel students to Kennebunk High School. Menard said he could not comment directly on the situation, but said there is some concern.
“With the uncertainty and possibility of that shift, we are trying to be proactive,” he said.
There are 10 boarding schools in the state currently, the closest ones to Thornton Academy being Bridgton Academy and Fryeburg Academy, each more than 50 miles away. Menard said other boarding schools in New England have been valuable resources with the process of establishing a boarding program at Thornton Academy.
The largest market for boarding students is Asia, particularly China, Menard said. Many other boarding schools in the state boast numerous Chinese students, whose parents want them to have an American education, he said. A benefit to local students will be the opportunity to interact with other cultures and hear first hand accounts of world events, Menard said.
The school’s only experience with other cultures so far has been exchange students, who live with a host family, not on campus. Menard said the boarding school will bring a new perspective to local students and more of a world view.
“They can read about it in a book, but to have someone in the class to speak on it firsthand, what a great way to bring the world to Thornton Academy,” he said.
Menard said the cost of tuition for boarding students will include room and board, classes, activity fees and possibly fees for English as a second language instruction. Boarding students will be supervised 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by live-in staff members who will have their own apartments in the new dormitories, he said.
Menard was a live-in staff member when he worked at Fryeburg Academy before coming to Thornton Academy, an experience he called “wonderful.”
Trips to Portland and Boston will be planned to expand the boarding students’ American experience, but will also be open to local students as well, Menard said.
The construction of the dormitories will be privately funded, with no tax money used. One dormitory will be constructed to board around 30 students the first year, Menard said.
Menard said an admissions clerk has already been hired to begin working out the application process.
Barba and Wheelock Architects was hired to design the dormitory nearly six months ago. Principal architect Nancy Barba said she and her team have experience with designing buildings to blend with existing ones as well as experience with historical preservation.
She said the dormitory plan for Thornton Academy may include alternative energy options, such as solar heated water, or may be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified building, which means it would meet standards for environmental design. Barba is a LEED accredited architect.
The Board of Trustees has the final say on the design and its incorporated elements. Barba said she expects to have two designs to present to the Thornton Academy board. Once the plan is approved by the board, it will have to be approved by the planning board and the historic preservation commission before construction can begin.
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