On Thursday, April 9, the Yarmouth School Committee unanimously appointed Shanna Crofton as Superintendent of Schools beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

Ms. Crofton is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning in Yarmouth, where she has been a member of the school district's leadership team for the past five years.

Read more about Ms. Crofton's appointment and credentials on our website.

The YHS Jazz Band and Jazz Combo performed at the UNH Clark Terry Jazz Fest on Saturday, March 14, where the Yarmouth Jazz Combo was awarded an Outstanding Musicianship award and a top 2 finish in their division. The Jazz Combo includes Finn Marianski and Abe Fortin on sax, Cole Rutberg on drums, Ryan Kew on Bass, and Coltrane Vitalius on piano.

Lexi Favreau was named this year's recipient of the Steingart Music Education Fund Award. Lexi was recognized as an outstanding singer and clarinet player, which she demonstrates in the HMS chorus, band, acapella group, and jazz band. Lexi has also participated in the District II Honors Music Festivals in 7th and 8th grade.

The Steingart Music Education Fund was established by Carol and Neal Steingart fourteen years ago in honor of Neal, who passed away after a battle with cancer. Neal had a lifelong love of music and worked in the music business for many years, including as a maintenance engineer at Record Plant Studios in NYC. Carol, her daughter Emily (an HMS and YHS alum who played the bassoon here and in regional orchestras), and her son-in-law Nick were excited to present Lexi with a cash award for private lessons, camp opportunities, and other possibilities.

Lexi is pictured with her parents, Heidi and Andrew Favreau, and her grandmother.  

YSD Director of Transportation Chris Storer has received the 2026 Trailblazer Award from School Bus Fleet Magazine. In this linked article, you can read about Chris's commitment to our students and his passion for ensuring their safety. Please join us in congratulating Chris on this award, and thanking him for his dedication to student safety!

We are into the final stretch of the budget development process, with a half dozen public meetings already completed, and two more to go.

At this point, the Town Council is prepared to consider the proposed budget for a final reading on Thursday, May 7, where public input is invited and the Council will adopt a budget to be considered by the voters.

On Thursday, March 12 the School Committee voted unanimously to approve the proposed 2026-2027 School Department Budget in the amount of $44,212,213, an increase of 4.65% over the 2025-2026 budget. The proposal seeks to preserve current programming throughout the district with no expansion or additions. 

Remaining public deliberations on the budget include:

Thursday, May 7:  Town Council – Public Hearing II

Tuesday, June 2:  Town Meeting – 7:00 p.m. in the YPAC at YHS

Tuesday, June 9:  Budget Referendum – 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in YHS Gym

Read more about the budget proposal on our district finance page and in this budget narrative from Superintendent Dolloff.

We hope to see and hear from many of you at these meetings!

As part of the YHS Compass Project - and thanks to our community partners and advisors - YHS seniors expanded their knowledge of nutrition, apartment hunting, sewing, and personal finance in March as part of the YHS Compass Project focus on "Adulting".

Shout out to Melissa Libby and Julie Chew from Bath Savings Yarmouth, Brit Vitalius of Vitalius Real Estate Group, and Sara Sullivan, Nutritionist, for taking time out of their day to share their expertise.

Next up in April: Insurance, investing, college hacks, first aid, tools, and cars.

Adulting sessions are brought to students by the Compass Project, a series of experiences designed to empower students to create fulfilling lives in a changing world.

Junior Job Shadows 

All juniors are encouraged to participate in a job shadow to get a first-hand look at careers that spark their interest. To date, over 30 students have completed shadows in fields ranging from aviation and law enforcement to nursing and dentistry.

We’re grateful to our community partners for welcoming our students: Tyler Technologies, Lanco, Sevee & Maher Engineers, RBC Wealth Management, Foreside Orthodontics, Yarmouth Police Department, Pierce Atwood Law, Portland Pilots, Portland Harbor Masters, Abbott Laboratories, and many more. 

Sophomore Career Exploration

This winter, sophomores stepped out of YHS and into the professional world. On January 22nd and March 18th, students explored diverse career paths—from history and law to engineering and welding—with visits to Portland Press Herald & WGME Channel 13, Preti Flaherty & the Maine Historical Society, Garmin, Portland Stage, and Bath Iron Works.

On May 7th, students will explore architecture, medical science, and sports management with visits to SMRT Architects & Engineers, NorDx, and the Portland Sea Dogs.

 Learn more about the YHS Compass Project here. 

April vacation will soon be here. Yarmouth Schools will be closed Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 26. We'll see everyone back here for the home stretch of the school year on Monday, April 27!