The Easton School Board voted on April 7, 2025, to advance the first-ever comprehensive community school concept in northern Maine, marking a significant step forward for Easton Elementary School. This innovative initiative, developed in partnership with the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) and the Town of Easton, will integrate a wide range of services to support local families with children aged six weeks through 12 years, all within a single location.
The proposed community school concept aims to address the growing demand for childcare and early education in Easton. The plan includes the creation of a dedicated space for ACAP’s infant and toddler childcare program at Easton Elementary School, which will serve children ages six weeks to three years. Additionally, the partnership will provide after-school and school-break childcare services for children up to age 12.
“The comprehensive community school concept is the direction that we need to head in across Aroostook County and the State of Maine, and we are pleased to be leading the way in collaboration with Easton school and town officials,” said ACAP Executive Director/CEO Jason Parent. “With a growing need for childcare in our region and beyond, exacerbated by the closure of childcare centers locally and statewide, partnerships such as these which bring together school districts, municipalities and non-profit organizations to offer comprehensive early childhood education opportunities are essential.”
Beginning this fall, Easton Elementary’s full day pre-kindergarten class will collaborate with ACAP’s Head Start program to create a classroom for three-and four-year-olds, offering a range of services that will support the needs of both children and their families, including access to ACAP’s Family Coaching Services. These services assist families in accessing resources to ensure their basic needs are met while supporting economic and social mobility.
“This collaboration is a tremendous opportunity for our community,” said Easton School Department Superintendent Richard Lyons. “The services ACAP will provide, combined with the Easton School Department and the Town of Easton, outline a commitment to delivering a strong educational foundation. This powerful partnership will benefit our students, faculty, staff, and the entire community.”
Principal/Curriculum Director Erin Ireland echoed this sentiment: “We are excited to see our school community thrive with this initiative. With ACAP’s support and collaboration, we are confident that Easton’s students, faculty, and staff will flourish in an environment that fosters growth, learning, and success.”
Inspired by a similar community school model that will be piloted in Skowhegan when a new Community School opens there, the concept in Easton aims to consolidate essential services into a single location, addressing the diverse needs of families. The Easton initiative was developed in response to a request made by Easton Town Officials to ACAP late last year for solutions to the community’s childcare challenges.
“Seeing this partnership come together is incredibly exciting,” said Easton Town Manager Cheryl Clark. “The collaboration between ACAP, the Easton School Department, and the Town of Easton is poised to make a lasting positive impact on the community. By addressing the critical need for childcare and expanding access to essential services, this initiative will benefit countless families and individuals in our area.”
As part of the ongoing process, the Easton School Board had previously voted on February 3, 2025, to move forward with a community survey to assess the demand for childcare services. The survey results showed a high level of interest from families in both the infant and toddler and school-aged services. Additionally, town, school and ACAP leaders held an open community forum on March 31, 2025, to answer any questions about the Community School Concept plan for Easton Elementary School.
“This forward-thinking partnership marks a new chapter in the support and development of Easton’s families, with the goal of providing a comprehensive, sustainable model for early education and childcare in northern Maine,” said ACAP Chief Program Officer Megan Barnes. “In the coming weeks we will partner with the Easton School Department in registering children for the collaborative Pre-K/Head Start program next fall, and follow that shortly thereafter with opening enrollment for later this year for the infant/toddler and school-aged childcare programs.”
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For more information, please contact:
Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP)
Rebecca Damon
207-554-4113
rdamon@acap-me.org
www.acap-me.org
Town of Easton
Cheryl Clark, Town Manager
207-488-6652
townmanager@eastonme.com
www.eastonme.com
Easton School Department
Richard Lyons, Superintendent Erin Ireland, Principal/Curriculum Coordinator
207-488-7700 207-488-7701
richard.lyons@eastonschools.org erin.ireland@eastonschools.org
www.eastonschools.org www.eastonschools.org
