Current Progress on the addition of MIW
Current Progress on the addition of MIW
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Mabel I. Wilson School
Mabel I. Wilson School
In April 1966, the newly elected MSAD #51 Board of Directors presented a comprehensive construction plan to the citizens of the district, which included the development of a new 16-room elementary school. Later that year, land adjacent to the E.K. Sweetser School was purchased for the project. At the time, a house and chicken barn stood on the property and needed to be removed. In a joint effort, the North Yarmouth and Cumberland fire departments conducted a controlled burn to clear the site and make way for construction.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new school was held in October 1966. Less than a year later, in September 1967, the new elementary school officially opened its doors. Its creation marked a significant step in consolidating several one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout Cumberland and North Yarmouth, addressing the district’s growing need for a centralized elementary education facility.
Who is Mabel I. Wilson?
Who is Mabel I. Wilson?
Mabel Irene Wilson was born in Illinois and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Dubuque. After meeting her husband, the couple settled in his hometown of Cumberland, Maine.
Mabel had a deep passion for learning and served as a substitute teacher in the local schools. Her commitment to education extended well beyond the classroom—she played a key role in planning the classroom wing of the Greely Institute and the development of the campus-style Greely High School. She also served on the school building committee during the construction of both the Cumberland Elementary School and the Chebeague Island Elementary School.
In addition to her work on school facilities, Mabel served 11 years on the MSAD #51 Board of Directors and 6 years on the school survey committee. She also contributed her time and expertise to the Town’s budget committee.
In recognition of her exceptional dedication and long-standing service to the community’s educational system, the new elementary school was named in her honor. Superintendent Vaughn A. Lacombe stated, “No one is more deserving of this honor than Mrs. Wilson. She has worked harder and more years than anyone else I know to see that Cumberland schools have kept a jump ahead of the town’s population growth.”
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