RSU 14 Board of Directors decline to name new school after Diamond

By Ed Pierce

By a vote of 7-2, the RSU 14 Board of Directors rejected a proposal to name the new middle school under construction for the late Windham legislator and children’s advocate Bill Diamond.

Members of the RSU 14 Board of Directors voted during
a meeting on  Nov. 4 to officially name the new middle
school as 'Windham Raymond Middle School' to best
represent both communities. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Windham High School, the board instead voted to name the school Windham Raymond Middle School to make the Raymond students, and the Raymond community feel that they are an equal part of the new school and to reflect both the communities of Windham and Raymond.

When the new school opens in August 2027, students attending Windham Middle School and Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond are scheduled to go to the new school and each of the current middle schools will be closed. Fifth grade classes from Manchester School in Windham are also scheduled to attend the new school.

Prior to voting on the new school’s name, members of the community spoke about their preferences for the new school’s name and RSU 14 Board Chair Christina Small entered emails that the board received about the name into the meeting minutes.

John Cressey of Windham, a Windham High School graduate and local business owner organized an effort to have the school named for Diamond, who died Aug. 31, 2025 at the age of 80.

“Having the new school named for one of the most influential people in Windham and Raymond, who rose up to become Maine Secretary of State, all while still maintaining close ties to the community would be inspirational,” Cressey said. “He deeply cared about the community and for children and was at every sporting event until he passed away. He sponsored a softball team every season for 30 years in Windham Little League even after his daughters were out of school.”

Diamond had taught in both Windham and Raymond schools, was the original principal of Manchester School in Windham, and also served as principal of Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond and was Superintendent of Raymond schools. He also represented both Windham and Raymond as a Maine State Senator, Windham as a Maine State Representative, and was Maine’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997.

He also co-founded Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors to provide heat assistance to those in need in Windham and Raymond, and the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation to end child homicide in the state of Maine. He was known statewide as a staunch advocate for children and led Maine Senate investigations into prominent deaths of abused children whose families were relegated to the state’s child welfare system.

Some critics opposed naming the new school for Diamond because of his association as superintendent and director of governmental relations for the troubled Elan School in Poland in the 1980s, which was permanently closed in 2011 following allegations of abuse there.

After voting to name the new school Windham Raymond Middle School, some board members suggested that Diamond could be remembered by creating a scholarship for graduates in his memory.

Despite the RSU 14 Board of Directors vote, supporters of the naming the new school after Diamond have created a community petition drive and hope to present it at a future board meeting and ask the board to reconsider the school’s name. Community members can also email comments about the school’s name to [email protected] <