Admissions
The Adams School is Castine’s PK-8 elementary school, located in the Castine Historic District. Operating as a public school since 1853, the Adams School boasts small class sizes, highly skilled teachers who put relationships first, and a balanced academic program that gets very strong results. Unlike most public schools, we offer an admissions process for children who do not live in Castine. If you’d like to know more about our school or would like to arrange a visit, contact Principal Fred Cole at fcole@castineschools.org or (207) 326-8608.
Application Process
Procedure for Administrative Consideration of Non-Resident Tuition Applications
It is the principal’s responsibility to consider all non-resident tuition applications and decide to recommend, or to not recommend, acceptance of the application by the school board. To make an informed decision, the principal shall:
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Meet with the parent/guardian and child.
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Acquire parent/guardian permission to confer with prior schools and review student records.
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Arrange for the parent and child to meet with the teacher of the class the child would be joining. This may coincide with the principal’s meeting with parent/guardian and child.
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Arrange for the child to visit during the school day. During this visit the child will spend time with the class the child would be joining, and the class’s primary teacher. If the application is received and to be considered outside of the school year, this step may be skipped.
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Consult the class’s primary teacher for their opinion regarding the application following the meetings and child visit.
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Consider the current size and characteristics of the class the student would be joining.
Age Requirements
2026-27
Must turn this age before October 15, 2026:
age: grade:
4 PK
5 K
6 1
7 2
8 3
9 4
10 5
11 6
12 7
13 8
14 9
Applications Deadlines
Enrollment date: Deadline to apply:
First day of school July 1
First day trimester 2 October 1
First day trimester 3 January 1
Final Decision
The principal and superintendent will make a recommendation to the school board regarding each admission application, and the board will then make a final decision. Students not admitted one year are welcome to apply the next.
