Conners Emerson teachers and staff returned Monday to a red-carpet welcome from students and parents, beginning the final school year in Bar Harbor’s old elementary school buildings.
Sep 01, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Geddy’s.
BAR HARBOR—Students in the Mount Desert Island region begin school today, heading onto buses, bikes, and person vehicles to start a brand new school year.
That means that the day before the school year begins was yesterday at area schools.
In Bar Harbor, that day was something special as the teachers and staff at the Conners Emerson Schools walked a red carpet, waved to paparazzi parents, and accepted the help of students staging nearby.
They accepted a few hugs too.
There was music. “Welcome to the Jungle” may have featured prominently on the speaker in the parking lot.
There was laughter bubbling out of some students. Others waited on the rock, ready. There were donuts ingested and sighed over.
Parents supervised. Welcome signs were waved, hoisted on heads, and jumped up and down with.
Eager arms reached out for teachers’ hugs and to help them carry boxes.
It was the seventh annual welcome back to school celebration for those employees who start the school year a bit earlier than the students.
Sponsored by the Conners Emerson PTSA, Monday, August 31, the teachers and staff were celebrated and welcomed to their home away from home by many of the community members—and students—who love them.
The seventh annual welcome back event at Conners Emerson, Monday morning was a little bittersweet this year.
Yes, there were cheers, shouts, applause, a little dancing, and a whole lot of joy as students and parents welcomed teachers and staff as they returned to the buildings after a summer off.
And there were donuts—so many donuts.
But what was different was that this year is the end of an era. That’s because this year will be the last welcome back ceremony at the old Conners and Emerson buildings, which will be coming down after the new school building is up and ready, which will most likely be in November.
In June 2023, Bar Harbor voters passed a $58 million bond to rebuild the ailing schools and support the town’s K-8 population. Broken boilers, rain inundation, a wall pulling away from the foundation, poor air exchanges, limited classroom space, and a lack of insulation are just some of the buildings’ recent problems.
The bond passed 1,005 to 502.
“We had such a lovely morning welcoming staff back. New ones we’re surprised and returning teacher’s mention being excited for this tradition. Red carpet and all, these teachers are the celebrities of Bar Harbor,” said former Conners Emerson PTSA President Jen Dougherty back in 2023.
Some changes have happened since then. The school is being built. Voters will soon have a chance to weigh in on a school reorganization plan for the entire Mount Desert Island Region. Staff have retired, been hired, moved to different positions and grades. And this year Dougherty is one of the teachers being celebrated.
All photos: Carrie Jones/BHS unless otherwise specified.
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