PERRY, Maine — Two of President Obama's Cabinet members visited an aging school on the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point reservation in Washington County on Monday to learn how to best work with students, teachers and administrators to improve education in Bureau of Indian Education schools.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell toured the K-8 Beatrice Rafferty School.
The officials met with school officials, teachers and students to learn how the Passamaquoddy school, despite major infrastructure problems, is providing students with high-quality education.
"Whether its here or at BIE schools across the country, there's huge unmet need," Duncan says. "So I think the more we can get out there, tell the story, show the strengths, tell the hard work but also show the unmet need, folks in Congress need to understand that."
The Beatrice Rafferty School, which was built in the 1970s, is due for replacement with federal funds. The funding was announced by Maine's U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree earlier this year.