001Good evening. Welcome to the RSU5 board of directors meeting. It is Wednesday, May 14th, 2025. We are here at the Durham Community School Gymnasium and uh we have a full board with the exception of uh Danielle will be joining us shortly. Uh but we'll get started in the meantime with the pledge. Okay. It's the kind of agenda I like. Okay. Uh we don't have any minutes. So we will move on to item five adjustment. I have one this evening under 14 personnel letter C. We're going to remove that for this evening. Okay. Uh, so we will move, we don't have good news and recognition this evening. We'll move right on to public comment. We ask if folks are looking to speak, we ask you to come to the microphone, give us your name, where you
002live, and comments limited to three minutes, please. Um, my name is Stacy Alvarez. I live in South Portland, Maine, and I'm a teacher at Freeport Middle School. Um, good evening. I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the Freeport Middle School staff, many of whom are here with me. We understand that a decision has been made regarding the next principal and as implied in the board chair's recent email, it will not be revisited. However, we want to express our deep disappointment that our voices were not meaningfully included in the process. After the abrupt departure of our former principal, the interim principal stepped in and rebuilt the trust, stability, and student centered culture that our school so urgently needed. She knows our school inside and out, and she has strong ties to our students, families, and the broader
003community. We believe her leadership speaks for itself and we ask why aren't we investing in and mentoring the talented professionals we already have rather than consistently looking outside our district. We respectfully urge the board to review how the candidate selection process was designed and implemented and to consider whether it truly reflected the unique circumstances and needs of our school. Thank you, Stacey. There's no podium, so if I'm shaking, you won't see it. Okay. Uh, I'm Sarah Davis. I live in Auburn, Maine, and I teach at Freeport Middle School. Um, I wrote something because otherwise I would get too emotional. Uh, I stand here in solidarity with my fellow colleagues. We are a close-knit school community and are passionate about teaching and supporting our middle school students. We have had a tough year at FMS. Our
004new principal left us midy year with no explanation. In the interim, one of our colleagues stepped in to take their place. Finally, we all felt some sense of order and stability. We felt supported. Um, so I am confused by the decision to pass over the highly qualified internal candidate who applied for the principal position in favor of another relative stranger to the person accepting that position tonight. Um, we are not here to express our displeasure with you as a candidate. I was not part of the hiring committee and therefore do not know what your strengths are and I am sure you have many. Um, we will be professional and kind and we will welcome you into our FMS community. Um, but were I in your position, I would want to know what the atmosphere in
005my future workplace is likely to be and how unhappy we all are to be losing a dear, very talented colleague um, and member of our community. Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Just give you guys a second. Okay. Uh so we will move on to we don't have items 8 through 13 on the agenda this evening. So we will move on to personnel. Do I have a motion for consideration and approval to employ a principal at the Freeport Middle School for the 2025 2026 school year? Uh Beth Emily. Thank you. Okay. I'd like to start by just talking about process that was followed. Um the we actually we advertised this position on Friday March 21st and on March 31st um the screening interview team members were selected and on that committee there were um it was
006chaired by assistant superintendent Cynthia Alexander. We had two building principles, a schoolboard member, two educators from FMS and two parents/ community members. On April 11th, the application closed and then that screening interview team um began their process which included confidentiality straining, screening applications, reviewing interview questions. There were two rounds of interviews for candidates. We had a pool of um 15 total and six folks um were interviewed for this position. Once the interview interviews were all conducted, there were two candidates that went forward to have receive interviews from the board chair and myself. And then one of those candidates is here this evening for your consideration. The candidate this evening that we're um we're bringing forward is Pamela Crosby. Pamela has a bachelor's in elementary education from the University of Maine at Farmington. She receives and
007she also received a master's in education from St. Joseph's College. She holds both K8 elementary education certification as well as preK12 building administration certification. her professional experience. She's been an eighth grade teacher in math at Lake Regent High School and also an eighth grade teacher for science and math at Sanford Junior High School. She's had two years as an assistant principal in at Sanford Middle School. And for the past 10 years, she has held the role of P principal at that school. References describe Pam as having clear and respectful communication. She's responsive. She implements plans from start to finish. She's approachable, proactive, a deep thinker, has a gift for working with all students. She creates an amazing climate and culture where everyone feels part of the school community. She's well respected by families and she's
008appreciated by her staff because of her high values. Okay. Uh just a a quick reminder um kind of a addendum to the process piece um what the board's uh role here is in hiring. Uh so we authorize the superintendent to make all hires. Um but for administrators uh and and for teachers those come before the board for for uh basically to authorize her to do so. Um so our choices are uh to approve or or decline the candidate that is in front of us today. Um it is it is not in the board's purview to direct a different person be chosen if even if that were the the um preference of the board. Right. So, uh, I just wanted to clarify that because there was it some of the emails may have have caused a
009little confusion on that front and what the what the board's role is. Uh, our only direct hire is the superintendent and the superintendent then uh hires all the folks below um below that role. So, just wanted to clarify if there were any other uh questions on process, we we're happy to take that. Um, but we do have I hate that we're all in a straight line at this meeting. I'm sorry, Cheyenne, I can barely see you down there. Um, so we have a motion and a second. Do you have a question, Matt? So the process that we use to find this candidate is the process that we go through every single time. We we send a email out to people asking if they would like to be part of the committee. How does that work
010as far as selecting people on the committee? So, uh it may vary in in size in terms of like um we're currently in the process of um uh choosing the selection committee for the the superintendent search. So, that one will likely be larger because it's we have people from all three towns. Uh you know, it'll be a larger committee than that. Um, but I would say for a principal ship, I think that's probably the same um the same makeup that we had in in in priv in previous principal searches. Yeah. So, there was nothing changed about the process and the way that we, you know, we opened it up to people that were interested in being part of the process. Correct. Okay. Thank you, Mora. Thank you, Jean. Thank you, Michelle. Um, Thank you to
011the teachers and everyone that we heard from. Definitely appreciate um hearing from folks. And um I did just want to ask um with regard to the process, it seems like there's some um rumors going around about the process that and I don't know because of certain aspects of the confidentiality of it. If you can speak more to that, Superintendent Scrappa, if you can describe that in more detail. I personally don't have any questions. I was I was the board member on the committee and I was involved in the process and I felt it was all handled very above board and consistent with how we do our hiring and have hired other candidates. But um I am concerned that other folks may have some misinformation. So I don't and I don't know again because the confidentiality
012of certain aspects of the process if we can share more. Um but I just did want to bring that up in case we can. I think what I can share with the board is it was a fair process and it was f it was followed the way we've followed processes in the in the past and by policy it was followed correctly. I have a question is uh I'm new to the board so uh when the committee is formed is it available to all community members all parents all faculty all board members? Yeah. So, it um very similar to how the superintendent email went out um whenever there is a um administrative role in the district, um Jenny will send out something to everyone that's in the um the database that has given us their email
013um and sought out uh volunteers. And then can we talk about what the selection process of the committee looks like? Are we allowed to discuss that? I I I don't know what I don't know what that one looked like. I think it varies depending on which one it is. Um so I I don't know if that was um okay. So um and and I will say there were not there was not a huge pool of people who wanted to participate in this particular um search. And so Cynthy and I sat down to make sure that there was slots and all everything that we for folks that um we those slots we said we wanted to to fill that they were all filled and they were but there weren't there were not tons of people. There
014were a few people that were turned away but not a lot of people turned away. Okay, since I don't see if if you are waving down there, wave big and high. But uh I don't think I see any other hands up for questions. So, we have a motion and a Oh, Colin, he he literally waited for me to look left. He did. I was just I was thinking [Music] um yeah I I um I just want to echo the appreciation to the um to the staff members and teachers who um who shared their views with us um and also thank you to the committee that was um that was tasked with this and I've ser I didn't serve on this committee. Yes, sir. I served on the um superintendent hiring committee. So, I know that
015process and I also know the um the various levels of confidentiality that exist um in that process. I think one of the things that um it's not um it's more of something for us to return to, but I think now would be a moment to flag it is I think um this question of um this question of mentorship um within the um within the district and within the administration is one that we um we have heard or at least during my tenure of four years um I have heard that is something that is um that is highly valued by um the staff and by by the by the teaching staff and by the administrators. Um and I have also just heard that raised as sort of one of the questions in in this process is
016um what is the mentorship process like uh and how does that then relate to the question of hiring? Um and I think that um I will admit I had I had never thought about those two things exactly in that um in that combination before. Um but I think it is something um that I would like um the board to consider ho how we can um think about that how we can communicate that um to our new superintendent who we will um hire and then how that superintendent will be communicating that to um the district. um in terms of what the um understanding is around that and what the possibilities are um around that um um because I think that is a really important thing and we've heard that before and um I just think it's
017really important that we return to it. Thank you Colin. Um I just wanted to again express um how much um everyone's I appreciate everyone's involvement in this process and I know this has been a very difficult year for the staff at Freeport Middle School and I this is not a decision um that I think any of us takes lightly and um I know we have a very qualified candidate before us who I'm I'm very hopeful will make a big difference in our school district. Um and um I deeply appreciate all of you and your hard work and all the sentiments that you shared with us and I know that they were heartfelt and I I really hope moving forward that things will will be better. Um and I wish that you know every vote that
018I make on this board could make everyone happy, but I know that it can't. Um, but I just want you to know how much all of you all of you are valued. Um, and how much we appreciate you and um um thank you for all you do. Thank you, Mora. Always give people the seven seconds. Colin, thank you. It's my seven seconds. Um, I think the only other thing that I I feel like should be uh stated publicly um because it is something that um I will admit that it was only something that really I understood about the board's role um about a year and a half or two years into my um my time with the board um is that we are not allowed to um hear concerns about staffing. issues uh during the
019year. Um and if there is something that um is the superintendent is handling at a leadership level um we are legally not allowed to be told that information because it would be a violation of that individual's privacy. Um and that um that is a was a difficult thing for me to realize to sort of come to an understanding on um and um I will imagine there will be time could be times in the future where that will also be frustrating um individually as a as a board member. Um but I also after thinking it through obviously um well maybe not obviously I I do understand the the importance of that and how essential that is um for respecting the um the privacy of the uh of all of the employees at this school. Um and
020um and and also just that that does yes that does place uh that does really affirm how much trust we place in the superintendent and how much we trust we have to place in that process. Um and I just thought that that was an important thing um that again is perhaps not sort of publicly uh sort of commonly known about the process. Um but I just thought that might be helpful for folks to know. One last glance. Collins way. Six and a half. Okay. Okay. We have a motion and a second on the floor. Uh, all those in favor? Opposed? Thank you. Welcome, Pam. Thank you very much. RS5 and wow, what in a great way. Um, to sit here and see how many staff members showed up from Freeport Middle School to show your
021allegiance and loyalty to a staff member is really heartfelt for me. Um, I understand where you guys are coming from. I'm sitting here and I'm listening. I can assure you I am going to do my best job to be a part of your team to work to collaborate to help the climate and culture bring stability and work with you and hear you in what middle school means. I love kids. I love education and I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. I've already gained so much respect sitting here listening to this crowd show up and listening to you. I'm not going to disappoint you all. I'm very much looking forward to becoming a part of your team. Thank you very much. Thank you, Pam. Okay. 14B. Do I have a motion for consideration and approval to
022employ a librarian at the Moore Street School Pel Elementary School for the 2025 2026 school year, one year only? Cheyenne and Kelly. Thank you. And I bring before you this evening Emma Egan. Emma is a Freeport High School graduate. Uh she has a bachelor's in environmental science with a minor in education from Bates College. She has a master's in library and information science from Syracuse University. She um has conditional certification as a library media specialist. Her professional experience, she's been a teacher in at the Brooklyn Waldorf School in New York. She's been an associate librarian at Night and Gale Bamford School in New York and an ESOL teacher and educational consultant. Um, and she did some remote work with that. References describe Emma as reliable, patient, creative, creating thoughtful and engaging lessons. She learns quickly,
023incorporates feedback. She's innovative, works well with kids of all ages. She's a supportive colleague, approachable, and a skilled librarian. Thank you. Can you remind us what a one-year only position means? We have a um staff member who's out on leave for a year. So So Emma will be filling that position. Thank you. All right, we have a motion and a second on the floor. Any comments, questions? All those in favor? Great. None opposed. So, we're back to public comment. If we had anyone who uh one more one more opportunity for public comment, we just same rules apply. Up to the mic. Three minutes. All right. Uh then I would take a motion to adjurnn. Laura and Beth, don't worry, we're not leaving for the night. Um we just closed this meeting and we'll reopen the
024annual budget meeting. in 20 minutes. Oh yeah, we should vote. Sorry. All those in favor