Boothbay region seventh and eighth grade students will resume classes in their wing at Boothbay Region Elementary School on May 2, according to Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler. The middle school students have been displaced since earlier this year due to flooding issues at the elementary school. 

“It’s great news,” he said in a phone interview April 26. “That return to normalcy is going to allow us to have all our resources close at hand. I think that’s going to be a relief for many because students, parents and staff have been stretched thin.”

The schools previously planned to use space made available by Wiscasset Middle High School to complete their academic year.

Even though the seventh and eighth grade wing of BRES was not impacted by the flood, there were issues related to construction work on the building, according to Kahler. He said the last concern stopping the students’ return was air quality, which was recently deemed safe by Northeast Test Consultants. 

“We couldn’t be going back in if we didn’t get an all clear for the air quality,” he said. He added, construction is still going on in the building, but safely separated from school activities and closed off to students.

The seventh and eighth graders will remain remote until May 2 but the other elementary school students will remain in locations around the community until work on the elementary school is completed, according to Kahler.

Kahler released a letter to staff, students and the community April 26 about the development. It read: “I want to thank everyone for their continued patience and support throughout this process and for the tremendous amount of work that allows us to return grades 7 and 8 to BRES sooner than anticipated!