Kirk and Sherrie Holbrook of Hallowell are concerned about their children’s education. The couple have a son and daughter attending attending Hall-Dale Elementary School. They were one of a dozen parents who attended the AOS 98 Education Fair Monday seeking a better educational opportunity for their children.

The Holbrooks’ son will attend the Center for Teaching & Learning in Edgecomb next year as a seventh grader. The couple is considering sending their third grade daughter to Edgecomb Eddy School next year. Sherrie Holbrook visited the school with her daughter on May 16 and the couple attended the Education Fair later that evening.

“My daughter liked Edgecomb Eddy School very much. She liked the students and we really like all the educational opportunities the school has to offer,” she said.

The Education Fair was the first one hosted by the school district. Superintendent Eileen King organized the event to showcase the “outstanding schools” within AOS 98. Edgecomb Eddy School has received an “A” from the State Department of Education for the past two years and was recently honored as a Title One Distinguished School. Boothbay Region High School has made U.S.News and World Report’s list of Top 10 Maine high schools for two consecutive years. Southport Elementary School has a unique program designed for its small kindergarten through grade six enrollment and Boothbay Region Elementary School has the only grade 7 and 8 options available locally, according to King.

AOS 98 school officials hope the fair sparks interest in parents who live in surrounding towns offering school choice. The fair was targeted for parents in Newcastle, Alna, Whitefield, Westport Island and Bremen. AOS 98 sent invitations to all kindergarten through grade six parents in Alna and Westport. Officials also sent press releases to the local newspapers about the event.

King described the four AOS 98 schools as “hidden gems.”

“We have some of the best schools in the region, but I’m not sure families outside our region know about all of our great programs. We offer our students a great educational opportunity and we want to make sure the public knows about everything we have to offer,” King said.

For years, AOS 98 and most Maine public schools have lost enrollment. All four AOS 98 schools have enough space available for more students, according to school officials. More students would mean more revenue for local schools. Each school would receive approximately $10,700 per pupil. For towns with school choice, the tuition is paid by the town.

For Kirk Holbrook, the one -hour fair was “educational.” He enjoyed seeing all the potential education options his children had for both the near and distant future.

“I really liked how it was set up,” he said. “Our daughter is still in elementary school so it was nice to see the options she would have for seventh and eighth grades and high school. The education fair had a lot to offer and we’re both very impressed. It truly was educational.”

Those seeking more information about AOS 98 programs should contact King at 633-2874.