Dear Parent/Guardians,
We are thrilled to welcome you and your children back for the 2025-2026 school year in Gorham! Our buildings have been busy with summer preparations—cleaning, repairing, and refreshing our spaces to ensure we’re ready for a great start later this month. We are so excited to start another strong school year in the Gorham Schools!
Key Dates To Be Aware Of:
August 27:
First day for grades PreK, 6, and 9
August 28:
First day for grades 1–5, 7–8, and 10–12
September 1: No school (Labor Day)
September 3: First day for Kindergarten
(after screenings and placements)
If you haven’t received your child’s Kindergarten screening time, please contact your school office (Please leave a message if we don’t pick right up):
Great Falls: (207) 222-1050
Narragansett: (207) 222-1295
Village: (207) 222-1300
Quick Transportation Updates:
Times may vary slightly from what was published in the Gorham Times because we have had additional families communicate with us about their transportation needs. Please check this information out and reach out to your school’s office with any questions you may have. Remember, as we get the school year up and running, and because we are using a new routing software for the first time this year, we anticipate that there could be some significant fluctuations in times for bus pick-up and drop-off. Please allow for 30 minutes +/- on the times listed for the first few weeks of school as we work out those kinks! Once the kinks are worked out, we will plan on releasing a new parent App later this fall that will allow parents to track their child(s) bus for much more accurate information on pick up and drop off times! Remember, don’t panic. Your children are safe with us!
School Start/End Times:
Great Falls, Narragansett, Village:
8:50 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Gorham Middle School:
8:00 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Gorham High School:
7:50 a.m. – 2:10 p.m.
Importance of ALL FAMILIES Completing Free/Reduced Lunch Forms!
When we open up the school year, there will be the annual “paperwork blizzard” that comes home with students for families to complete. These are essential forms for sure, but none are more critical than the Free/Reduced lunch forms. Two years ago, our district dropped to just 5% F/R lunch rates based on the completion of these forms, which cost us almost $700,000.00 in lost state subsidy. Last year, through an effort across all schools to encourage families to complete these critical forms, we increased our participation rate to 23% and gained over $750,000.00 in state subsidies as a result. These forms matter!.
We realize that many families do not qualify for free/reduced lunch. Still, by asking all families to complete the form, we ensure that all eligible families receive the benefits they are entitled to while limiting the “stigma” that many families may feel when completing these forms. If everyone does it, everyone just does it, and as you can see from the paragraph above, it matters that we do!
So when these forms come home, please take the time to complete them and get them back to the school. Only ONE person in the district processes these forms, so know that your data is safe and will not be shared! Any questions, please ask!
Get Involved!
There are two great ways to connect with our schools: Join your school’s Partners in Education (PIE) group—contact your school office to learn more.
Volunteer!—visit www.gorhamschools.org, click on “Human Resources,” then “Volunteer Program” to register. Registration is required for 1-time volunteering, short-term, or long-term volunteering. Registration is quick and EASY, so don’t let that stop you! We would LOVE to have you in our schools!
Reminder – The Importance of School Attendance at ANY AGE!
Regular attendance is one of the most powerful ways to support your child’s success in school. Missing just two days a month—regardless of the reason—can negatively impact academic progress for your child. Attendance affects everything from early reading skills to high school graduation. When we start a new school year, we start new habits and we build new routines. Now is the time to ensure that we send a clear message to children that school matters. Attendance matters. Thank you!
Families should anticipate additional communications from your child’s school and/or teachers over the next few weeks in preparation for opening days. If you haven’t heard anything by Aug. 18, please reach out to the elementary school numbers listed above or to GMS at (207) 222-1220) or to GHS at (207) 222-1100.
Our dedicated staff is eager to partner with you to prepare and inspire every student for their future success! We’re proud of the strong school-community connection that makes Gorham special—and we can’t wait to begin another incredible year together. Please reach out to me any time at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org or (207) 222-1012 with questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued partnership. GO RAMS!
Sincerely,
Heather J. Perry, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Find up-to-date bus schedules at:
https://www.gorhamschools.org/page/transportation