WikiMini

Sipayik Elementary School

Sipayik Elementary School is a K-8 school located in the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation, Maine.[1] Sipayik Elementary School's school administrative unit is the Pleasant Point School District, which covers the reservation.[2]

The previous facility was known as the Beatrice Rafferty School (BRS). The current Sipayik elementary opened in 2021, replacing the former school.[3] Construction on the Sipayik facility had been initiated in May 2019.[4] The former Rafferty School became the tribal office building.[5]

Governance

[edit]

It is one of three schools in the Maine Indian Education (MIE) school district system, supported by funding by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). There are three school boards, one for each school, and each school has its own principal, while MIE has a collective superintendent.[6] The MIE is akin to a main "union of towns" school system where multiple school administrative units share a superintendent but otherwise operate separately.[7]

Curriculum

[edit]

As of 2015 the Rafertty School had instruction in some vocabulary of the Passamaquoddy language, along with indigenous culture.[8]

Feeder patterns

[edit]

High schools which take students from this school include Calais High School, Shead High School, St. Croix Tech Center, and Washington Academy.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sipayik Elementary School (school)". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  2. ^ Geography Division (January 14, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington County, ME (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2025-07-12. UNI 00003 Pleasant Point[...]Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Resvn° 57090[...]PLEASANT POINT RESVN 2850 - Text list
  3. ^ Stevens, Rhonda (2021-09-24). "New Sipayik school creates space for education, culture". Quoddy Tides. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  4. ^ French, Edward (2019-05-24). "Construction begins on new Sipayik school". Quoddy Tides. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  5. ^ "Tribal Court". Passamaquoddy Tribe. Retrieved 2025-07-12. Tribal Office Building (Former Beatrice Rafferty School)) 22 Bayview Drive Pleasant Point, ME 04667
  6. ^ Ramharter, Jordan T. (June 2020). "A Meeting of the Minds: Utilizing Maine's State Education System to Promote the Success of Its Native Students While Maintaining to Promote the Success of Its Native Students While Maintaining Tribal Sovereignty". Maine Law Review. 72 (2): 380–416. - Cited: p. 403 (PDF p. 26/39)
  7. ^ "Maine Educational Facts 1987-88 1988-89" (PDF). State of Maine. p. 3-4 (PDF pp. 8-9/37). Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  8. ^ French, Edward (2015-11-13). "New school seeks to keep language alive". The Quoddy Tides. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
  9. ^ "getTestimonyDoc.asp?id=179650". Maine Legislature. p. 5/14. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
[edit]

44°57′55″N 67°03′42″W / 44.9654°N 67.0617°W / 44.9654; -67.0617