District overview
MSAD 72 (Maine School Administrative District 72)
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How MSAD 72 is paid for and who decides
MSAD 72 serves Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg, Lovell, Stoneham, Stow and Sweden. It runs Molly Ockett School (K-8), New Suncook School and Brownfield-Denmark Elementary, and pays tuition for high school students at Fryeburg Academy. Each year the budget goes to voters at a district budget meeting, and each town is assessed a share. The board is made up of directors and alternates from every town. It is chaired in 2026-27 by Sarah Owens, with Savannah Sessions as vice chair. Jay Robinson is superintendent.
FY27 budget
$25,340,715.45, up 4.3%, approved May 27, 2026; the local-funds article passed 128-22.
Town assessments
Up 9.51% ($1,410,526) overall and 23.22% for Sweden; Lovell's fell 1.82%.
High school tuition
Fryeburg Academy tuition added about $560,000 to the FY27 budget increase.
School consolidation study
An ad hoc committee is studying Brownfield-Denmark Elementary; it has narrowed options to a New Suncook K-2 / Molly Ockett 3-8 plan and will recommend in December 2026.
Savings estimates for consolidation come from committee worksheets based on FY26 costs and have not been adopted by the board.
Where the district stands
Stated in the committee's first meeting recording; auto-captions.
Major projects
Future of Brownfield-Denmark Elementary School
under studyAd hoc committee examining enrollment, programming, finance, facilities, transportation and community impact of keeping, reconfiguring or closing BDES.
- Committee announced
- First meeting
- Savings options compared
- Narrowed to K-2/3-8 plan
Funding
Operating budget (potential savings)
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Board agendas and minutes from msad72.org (November 2025 to October 2026), the FY27 budget documents, the ad hoc committee's documents on Brownfield-Denmark Elementary, and YouTube recordings of board meetings since August 2026 and of the committee's four meetings.
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