Living In Bangor

Education

An integral aspect of what makes Bangor such a desirable place to live and raise a family is the quality of education. The Bangor School Department expects academic excellence from every student -- and they deliver.

The system is uniquely organized into schools serving four separate age levels (K-3; 4-5; 6-8; 9-12) with each focused on student learning and achievement. A full day kindergarten program emphasizes literacy and quantitative skills. Grades 1-3 focus on reading, writing, and mathematics, supplemented with hands-on science and community based social studies. Grades 4 and 5 introduce comprehensive computer instruction and an expanded range of program options. Middle School (grades 6 through 8) further expands curriculum to include foreign languages and technology education, interscholastic athletics, and additional extracurricular activities. Bangor High prepares students for further education through honors and leveled courses in English, Mathematics, Foreign Language, and the Sciences and a rich array of courses in History, Technology Education, Business, Fine Arts, Health, and Physical Education. Advanced Placement courses are available in seventeen areas. Bangor High is proud of its broad extracurricular offerings and interscholastic athletic success.

The Bangor School philosophy is based on the belief that all students can achieve. Individual student progress is closely monitored through systematic assessments. Students in grades 2-10 who are not meeting academic expectations are placed on an individualized Student Instructional Plan (SIP) designed to improve their skills.

Bangor students excel on such standardized achievement tests as the Maine Educational Assessment, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Over 90% of graduating seniors will continue their education at post secondary institutions, including some of the most prestigious in the country.

Bangor High’s excellence has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which designated Bangor High a 2001-2002 National School of Excellence, one of only 172 schools recognized nationally and the only high school in New England to receive this designation for that year.

The Bangor Region also offers a variety of private schools serving students from grade school through high school.

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

The Bangor region offers a wide range of post secondary educational institutions offering programs aimed at both traditional and non-traditional students. These include: Maine Maritime Academy, Eastern Maine Community College, Beal College , University College of Bangor, Bangor Theological Seminary, Husson College and the New England School of Broadcasting, Unity College, the College of the Atlantic, Colby College, and the University of Maine, the flagship campus of the University of Maine System.