Spruce Mountain High School

Spruce Mountain High School
The Official Seal of the Spruce Mountain High School
Established July 1, 2011
Type Public secondary
Principal Thomas J. Plourde
Students 468
Grades 9–12
Location 33 Community Drive Jay, Maine 04239,
Jay, Maine, USA
Coordinates 44°29′40″N 70°11′58″W / 44.49444°N 70.19944°WCoordinates: 44°29′40″N 70°11′58″W / 44.49444°N 70.19944°W
District Regional School Unit 73
Colors Black, Green and White
Mascot Phoenix
Website rsu73.org

Spruce Mountain High School is a newly consolidated public high school located in Jay, Maine. It serves students from Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls, Maine

Incorporation

Spruce Mountain High School was founded when Livermore Falls High School and Jay High School combined as the result of the consolidation between RSU #36 and the Jay School Department in 2011.[1]

Mascot and Colors

The colors and mascot of Spruce Mountain High School were chosen by students of Livermore Falls and Jay High Schools. The colors, Green and Black, were chosen by ballot by students and staff. The name Spruce Mountain comes from Spruce Mountain located in Jay, Maine. For generations students from both high schools have compared and contrasted their Carhartt pants, the horsepower of their twin turbo v6 engines and the proficiency of their "shit-kickahs" at the mountain making it a very appropriate name for the school.[2]

Campus Consolidation

2011-2012

In the first year of consolidation, middle school students in RSU 73 all attended Spruce Mountain Middle School, in the building formerly occupied by Jay Middle School. High School students, though technically attending the same school, remained in separate buildings (Spruce Mountain High School at South and North Campuses).

2012-2013

Because splitting up a class after consolidation was deemed detrimental, the first consolidated eighth grade class was kept together and put at North Campus their ninth grade year, even though grades 10 through 12 were still separate.[3] During this second school year, and throughout the consolidation process, multiple solutions were discussed for fully consolidating the High School. Among them was a five million dollar addition to North Campus, which was rejected by voters in May of 2012.[4] In November of 2012, voters approved an almost two million dollar renovation to North Campus and Spruce Mountain Middle School, including a connector between the two, in order to accommodate students from all three member towns.

2013-2014

The renovation complete, Spruce Mountain High School opened for the first time as one school in the fall of 2013.[5]

References

  1. Perry, Donna. "Consolidated school system to be known as RSU 73". Sun Journal.
  2. Perry, Donna. "RSU 73 board affirms school name, mascot, colors". Sun Journal.
  3. Perry, Donna. "Spruce Mountain Eighth Graders to attend Jay High School next year". Sun Journal.
  4. Perry, Donna. "Towns Reject 5.3 Million Dollar Addition Bond". Sun Journal.
  5. Adams, Eileen. "Changes unveiled for one Spruce Mountain High School site". Sun Journal.