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While some suggest the name derives from the Sokokis Indians of the area, others believe it is of Indian origin meaning the outlet. However, Lawrence Bond notes that Estaban Gomez, an early explorer, called it Bahia de Saco or Bay of the Sack in 1525. In 1811 Saco Academy was founded after 37 Saco citizens petition the Massachusetts legislature to establish an academy in Saco. Later renamed in honor of benefactor Dr. Thomas G. Thornton, the school was destroyed by a suspicious fire in 1848 and was not reopened until 1889. Goosefare Brook nature preserve is a 309-acre waterfront parcel purchased by the Nature Conservancy as an addition to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. One half of the Biddeford-Saco metropolitan area, the city has its own extensive beach and Ferry Beach State Park. Occupying the east side of the Saco River as it enters Saco Bay, the city is the eleventh largest community in Maine. From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)

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Jason of Saco, ME
May 11, 2006 2:08 PMSaco's schools have great, dedicated teachers and staff, like any school. There are two K-2 schools: Young and Fairfield. Fairfield (located on Beach Street) services residents who live south of Route 1/Main Street. Young School (off Buxton Road) is for Students north of Route 1/Main Street. C.K. Burns School, off Beach Street, handles 3-5. Students go to Saco Middle School (on Buxton Road) for 6th-8th grades. And for high school, the city picks up the tab (via residents' taxes) to send students to the private Thornton Academy on Main Street. There are a number of pre-schools and private grade schools in the city or nearby, too. A fleet of well-maintained buses shuttle kids to and from school.

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