001to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Good evening. Just as a point of emphasis when it comes to the nomination of school board officers, um After talking with our lawyers, remember you can only nominate one person and that person is then we have a second and we have a discussion on that person. And during that discussion, you can ask that person some questions. You can mention you were going to nominate some somebody else might not say they're going to nominate somebody else or whatever, but you're going to have one nomination on the floor at a time. Okay? Do you have any nominations for school board chair? Okay. I make a motion that we nominate
002Holly Morris for school board chair. Do we have a second? Seconded by Tammy. Okay. Discussion. So, that means you can ask Holly questions. Like, does she want to be the chair? Uh what she's going to what she's going to do as chair. You guys can also ask questions. Is there anybody else that was going to be you were going to nominate somebody else? That's all part of the discussion process. So, if you have anything you want to say, raise your hand and I will call on you. Andrew? Uh first of all, Holly, do you accept the nom- would you accept the nomination and what would you bring to the table that you think would make you a good chair of the committee? If you guys would have me as chair, I would accept the nomination.
003Um as far as what I would like to accomplish as chair, um I think more communication as a board. Um I like the way we've got everybody seated tonight. Um, I think in the past we've kind of played one side against the other. I don't want to see that. I want us to come together as a board, discuss things, have more communication, transparency, more more interaction with community, more interaction with parents, teachers, students. I just want to be more open and have a successful board. I'd like to All right. Um, I'd like to nominate Don Emery. Andrews? Don, I'll put the same question to you as I did Holly to make it fair. Would you accept a nomination and what do you He's asking bring to the office? Did you hear me? I think I
004did. Yeah. Um, I would accept the nomination. I uh What would I bring? I I think you've already seen. I I I want to be fair. I want to make sure that all sides are heard. I agree with Holly. I think uh communication is huge. And uh bringing we've been through a tumultuous time and uh I agree bringing the board together for the good of the district for the good of the students most of all. That's where I'm at. Thank you. Does anybody else have any questions or comments? This is your opportunity. Seeing none can we do roll call, please? Roll call for Holly. Matthew Brent. Yes or no for Holly. No. Candy Bryant. Yes. Nanya Calloway. Yes. Don Emery. No. Amy Ferrari. Yes. Vera Hope. No. Sarah Jameson. Um no. Holly Morris. Yes. Avery
005Ryder. No. Don Stroud. Yes. And Andrew. Yes. Passes six to five. Holly, come on up cuz you will be running the meeting and getting ready to be the vice chair. >> Hey, good evening everybody. Um, does anyone have nominations for vice chair? Don. I'd like to uh nominate Michelle Muffin. Michelle Muffin. Michelle's not here, but I don't think that that is an issue. Um, I do have a letter from her stating that she would accept the nomination. Uh, what? Sorry. Anybody second? Second. Now we have a second. Now we have a discussion. Now we have a discussion. So, she would accept the nomination. So, anyone have any discussion? Yes. I'd like to know if Don Emery is interested in being vice chair. I would serve at the board's pleasure. Any other discussion? Don. I think
006with Michelle's background and education, that she would be a good choice for vice chair. I agree with that, Don. Andrew. During the past year, my seat has been assigned next to Michelle quite often, so I got to know her a little little bit better. I know she does her homework, she's engaged, she asks good questions, and expects good answers. She takes an educated or quiet role to to advocate for up at any particular side she wants the best for the high district and I've seen her work Thank you, Andrew. I agree. She does seem to have um a lot of knowledge, um a lot of education on the education side of things, has children in the district. I think she would do well. Any other discussion? Roll call, please. Andrew Sylvester? Yes. Don Stroud? Yes.
007Adrian Ryder? No. Colleen Morris? Yes. Sarah Jameson? Yes. Carol Grove? No. Kenny Brar? Yes. John Henry? Yes. Tony Donella? Yes. Ashley Bryan? Yes. And Matt Bird? No. Okay, so Michelle Moffatt will be our vice chair. Um thank you, everybody. This is my first time running a meeting, so bear with me. It's not your first. Laura, we all set with attendance? Okay. Um let us know if any other um Um approval of the minute minutes for the February 26th meeting. I think we can listen to one of them. Okay. And and the reason we're doing this one, for some reason, with all the meetings that we had shoved together, we we had those double meetings in a row, we skipped approval of the minutes. Not that we change anything with the minutes, but so in order
008to do that and post them officially, we need to make sure that we vote. So, there'll be a few people that will probably need to abstain tonight because you weren't on the board at the time. So. So, Laura, do you have a second? Do you want a roll call or are we going to do hands? We can just do hands. That's your job. Oh, that's my job. All those in favor. [laughter] Laura, we're trying to bring you into this. I know. I like to include you, Laura. All those in favor. All those opposed. Any abstain abstain? Okay, thanks. The past, thanks. The next one is the school board minutes for April 9th. So moved. Second. Thank you. Any discussion? So, I do have to say, can when you guys do that, can you say your
009name instead of just saying who moved it because I can't where I'm sitting, I can't see who moved So, that would be great. So, who moved that? So moved by Dawn and second by Pam. Okay, thank you. Any discussion? Roll call. Or all those in favor. No opposed. All those opposed. Those who abstained. Thank you. So, retirement notification from Diane Benson, the music teacher at Spruce Mountain High School. Retirement. Uh, can I get a motion to accept her retirement? So moved. Don Don Emery. Emery. Second. Yes. Yes, discussion. This is going to be big shoes to fill. I am very, very sad to see this. She is an amazing lady. She had my grandson on the golf team, and I just don't have enough good to say about her. So, this is a huge, huge
010loss to our district. I wish her well in her retirement, though. Anyone else for discussion? I would like to say, too, my granddaughter is a freshman. She was interested in the Rock of Ages, and it's sad to see Diane leave. Um, hoping that we can fill her shoes, but they're huge shoes to fill. So, all those in favor. All those opposed. Uh, resig- resignation from Heather Hyatt, social worker at the Spruce Mountain Primary School, effective June 15th. So So moved by Tanya, second and by Don. Any discussion? All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Pass. Resignation from Shane Edwards, teacher at the Spruce Mountain High School, effective June 15th. So Second. Don Strout, Don Emery. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Resignation from Aaron Hastings, third grade teacher at the Spruce Mountain Elementary School,
011effective June 15th. So moved, Don Emery. Seconded, Tanya. Any discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Aye. All those opposed? Um Jessica Ellingwood and Kim Bryant are going to do a presentation of the high school Spain trip and requesting permission for the international travel for April 2028. Hi, I'm Jessica Ellingwood and Kim Bryant was our group leader in Spain for April 2026. And we have a little highlight of some of our adventures and uh here we go. Kim, I feel like you should be at the mic. I probably should be. That I will be. You're will switch. And then we'll switch. We'll switch. Okay. We totally have this coordinated. So the good news is we're back and we made it. All alive and uh very good. So that's always a bonus, right? So, um we just
012got back from Spain over April vacation. Um our journey at a glance. We had 27 students, four, well, five chaperones not including that didn't include me. Um 14 adults. Um we raised $13,500 in 2 years of fundraising. We visited five major cities. Um we explored thousands and thousands of years of history. We made countless memories and we walked a lot, um up to 10 more than 10 miles on some days. Um and most importantly, um not a single student or adult missed a single meeting time in an entire 8 days. That is like a miracle. That is no tardies. That's so good. Um so, our first stop was Barcelona. Students experienced the the big sites and they're up there so you can sort of see those. Um students also had some independent um exploration time
013and some students did um different things. So, some rode the cable cars above the city, um maybe went shopping, to a museum, um and they got to practice navigating on their own in a city they've never been to. And I know that may sound scary, but they're they have a lot of guidance. Um and they also completed a scavenger hunt where they were literally given a map and clues and had to find their way around a very confined and safe area. Um but for many of them, that was the first time they've navigated not ever using a phone. So, that was like terrifying and so exciting for them. Um when we talk about like not being late, they're given free time to eat or shop or whatever and then they need to be back at
014a designated point at a specific time, and all of them were there on time uh and found where they needed to go. So, it was very, very good. In Madrid, which was the second large city we went to, um students got to see the palace, um the palace actually was occupied by the royal family, so we didn't get to go inside. Instead, we actually went to a museum of fashion and costume, which was fantastic, as well. Um we saw some of the most famous artwork in the world at the Museo del Prado, um and we also um visited the um kind of major cathedral in Spain. Um students participated in guided walking tours, bus tours, um art and history discussions, and other cultural exploration. They saw artwork and architecture that's definitely older than our entire
015country, and that's like an amazing thing to think about for students. Like, this stuff is more than 800 years old, and we're celebrating our 250th as a nation, which is just hard to imagine. And some of these pictures go back. I also do want to So, we do have some of the boys at the um Real Madrid soccer game that uh chaperones and some students uh went to. That was completely optional and mostly arranged by Mark Keller, um and that was like a real once-in-a-lifetime thing for those kids and uh a fantastic time. The rest of us like went to McDonald's and Burger King, which was equally exciting, but, you know, All right. Um we also went to Toledo, which is an extremely ancient medieval city. Um it is over 800 years old. The church
016there was celebrating its 800th um birthday. We saw one of the most famous artworks by El Greco, which is absolutely amazing. And we learned a lot about Spain's religious and cultural history. And a lot of people bought a lot of stuff in the gift shop there because they have this amazing damascene steel, which is absolutely beautiful and really cool and it was very popular. Students got to try new things. So, they ate some stuff like paella and churros and cured meats and went to local cafes and restaurants. They also learned how to flamenco dance from professionals. And I could not believe every single student participated in the flamenco dancing and were amazing. They all dressed up and looked fantastic. And then afterwards we got to see a performance by the same people who had taught
017us. So, that was like really nice. And they got to experience Spanish music and culture firsthand. And some of them ate foods that they will certainly never eat again and never imagine they would eat. We had some picky eaters, but most of them tried something new over the trip. So, it was awesome. Students demonstrated responsibility, respect, kindness, independence, and time management. We talked about everybody arriving at at where they need to be every day, but this also includes in the morning like when we have to leave at like 7:00 a.m. They're all up at breakfast, ready to go, and on the bus. That's like crazy. We had some students that were homesick, had never been away from home, and they handled that really maturely and understood like this is something that I'm feeling and I
018will get over it and things are not bad. I am just missing my usual routine. Um, they learned how to be good roommates, which is really important and some of them have never done before. Um, how to travel responsibly, how to adjust to unfamiliar situations, and how to support one another when they were feeling not well or having a hard time doing that 12 miles of walking. Um, and they did a really good job helping each other out. Um, our students um, got lots of compliments and that I think is one of the best things about taking these groups on these tours. As the tour leader, when we visit a place and we have a tour guide, those tour guides come to me and say, "Congratulations, because your kids are fantastic." Um, they are kind,
019they are respectful, they listen and pay attention and are fun, and you are so lucky to have this group. Um, and it's not like this group was fantastic, but all of our kids are fantastic and we definitely um, let them know that they're representing our school and our state and our families and they take that to heart and um, they just have wonderful attitudes and so well-behaved and um, just never any issues. They're fantastic. Um, this is our bus driver Daniel and our tour director Miguel. Um, and it says he may now be honorary Phoenixes. Miguel, uh, when he is not doing tours is a mural painter and we have >> [laughter] >> we have invited him. We're like, "You come to Maine, you come come we'll put you up and you can stay and
020you can do a mural at the school." He is like incredibly talented. Um, so that's why he gets to be an honorary Phoenix. I don't think Daniel can paint, so he's on his own, I guess. Um, so obviously they learn lessons that can't be taught in a classroom, right? So, history through experience, art through immersion, geography through navigation, communication through necessity, and that is an important one. Um, and confidence through independence, and you can see their attitudes and their demeanor at the beginning of the trip and at the end of the trip are completely different. They have become confident travelers, um, and they just have a much better sense of themselves in the world. Um, they also learn that home is pretty special, too, cuz when you're away for eight days, um, you and you
021are used to things a certain way, when you get back, you are very excited. And as we rounded the corner by the school sign to come up the hill, there was like a huge cheer after traveling all day, and I said, "It's probably the only time that they have ever cheered, um, when getting to school, but they were very happy to return home." So, we would like to I think this is my thank you slide next. Oh, no, why travel? I just told you all the reasons we should travel. You don't need These are experiences students will have forever, and and they're still talking about it. They'll talk about it their whole lives. Um, do want to thank the school board for obviously allowing us to take these trips, um, most especially the families for
022supporting their students. Um, we definitely have families that make a lot of sacrifices to be able to send their kids on these trips knowing how valuable the experience is, um, and some of those families not able to offer them that experience themselves. Um, thanks to my chaperones. Um, I have fantastic chaperones for this trip, um, for all of the people who supported all of our fundraisers, um, and people who just support kids traveling, in general, and then also to our students for being so wonderful. And you can see, um, the students all lined up in front of our bus on our way there saying goodbye to their parents. Um, it it's just a very, very, uh, special thing to do these trips. So, with that, this is this was my last trip. I am I
023am retiring as these trip leader. Um, I I still will travel, for sure, but I'm not going to take 49 people with me every time I go. Uh, but I have a wonderful colleague who is ready to take over for that. So, Jessica's been on the last two trips with me >> [snorts] >> because I knew that this day would come and I was like, you know, this would be a great way to transition. Um, so, I'm going to now transition to Jessica. We're going to switch places real quickly. >> [applause] >> Transition to me and I think when I was watching that, like, I was a little emotional because I know, you know, I'm a long ways from high school, but my family made that sacrifice so I could go to Germany when I
024was in high school. And since then, I've traveled internationally and domestically and that wasn't something that my family would have known how to do at that time. And and so, I'm excited that I could offer that to our Spruce Mountain High School students. And like Kim said, I've traveled to Scotland and Ireland and England and Wales, um, in 2026 and then in Spain in 2028 and we've had fabulous students and there's been trying moments and we worked through them and and everyone is safe and happy in the end and they're and they're lifelong memories for these students and I think confidence that just can't come from anywhere else other than experiencing it. So, for 2028, this has kind of been a tradition um minus COVID where every 2 years there'd be an international trip through
025um in RSU 736 and and Jay coming together at Spruce Mountain. And so, for 2028, I propose that we would go to Costa Rica. And I know that is different because it's currently always been in Europe. And so, I'm a math teacher here at the high school and um science and math is a little bit more, you know, up my alley other than humanities is very important also. And Costa Rica just offers some biodiversity um and sustainability and a culture of peace. And I think about the last two trips and when we were hiking in Wales, we went on this beautiful sunset hike. And when we were in Spain, some students got to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. And I get excited when I see a new bird and I see a new tree. And
026our students see that too and they were like, "Wow, the water tastes so good here in Maine." That was one of the things they missed about Maine. So, um and also, we do offer Spanish here, of course, and so it was nice that some students got to practice that in Spain. And and of course, in Costa Rica, that is also um the language. Um the trip we're proposing is 9 days. It's 8 nights in a hotel. As you can see, we will be on the East Coast in the Caribbean Sea and then ending on the West Coast which is the Pacific Ocean. And that's one of the reasons I chose Costa Rica. Like, how amazing that you can see two bodies of water in the same trip. And um I I just chose day one
027because I think if I did all of the days we would be here all night and no one wants that, but just in the special area of Tortuguero, the national park, um this is the largest breeding ground for green sea turtles in the western hemisphere. Uh there's 11 different habitats between the wetlands, the lagoons, and I just think how amazing and I do have some science teachers that also think this could be quite an incredible experience to to go and see and I'm sure we will not see all 100 of the 442 birds, but if I saw 40 I'd be pretty happy. If I saw four, and so there there we are. Um and and so I'm sure there'll be questions. I'll try to answer what I can. We always use EF. Um they're like
028the number one travel company for international travel. Um as soon as we land in Costa Rica we will have a guide like we had Miguel in Spain. He can speak five foreign languages. He's from Portugal. Our these guides are not just someone off the street. They are extremely well educated. Miguel has a law degree. We will not have Miguel in Costa Rica, but when we were had Rosie in Scotland it's it's similar. This is very safe and so well educated um uh guides. There is six students per one Spruce Mountain chaperone and we will continue to invite family and parents. We had aunts, we had grandparents, we had moms, um we've had uncles, like just family that travels and for some students that makes them feel much more comfortable. Um in the trip it's our
029round trip flight to Costa Rica. We have our private motor coach which is just for us to travel to those different locations like you saw. Hotels, students room together, usually two or three in a room by gender, private bathrooms, and breakfast and dinner is provided. And then they're usually for lunch on their own. And all of our activities, I will tell you some of the activities are we can uh we're going to have a boat ride in Tortuguero. There is snorkeling. There is hiking in Arenal near a volcano where we can see the crater and overlook the Pacific lowlands and um oh and and zip-lining in a canopy over the forest and and all of this would be included and I think we talk about confidence and being a little uncomfortable, this this might be
030that trip. We might even see some seagulls, Avery. Just kidding. Okay. Um and so I think, you know, something to think about is safety and so um Costa Rica is oops, sorry, a little close there. Rated the same as Germany and France and the United Kingdom and Spain and the places that we have been to, the major crime there is is petty crime, you know, like pickpocketing which was something we were very aware of also in Spain when you're in a tourist area and eco-tourism is huge in Costa Rica. Um with that being said, um sunscreen for our little native skin in April and um bug spray and also April is one of the driest months in Costa Rica, so there will be some bugs, but there will be less than there could be if
031we went during the wet season. Passports, we make copies, families have copies, um it's it's a well-run machine, I would say. Um like Kim mentioned before, um we don't take lightly that this is a huge amount of money for some of these families to come up with, like a lot and the sacrifices they make, um I I know I appreciate that greatly and the fact that $13,500 was raised is amazing and I think we can do that again. We sell mums and poinsettias through Longfellows. We've done calendar raffles and also I I think a great thing is that we have two years. So birthdays, holidays and whatnot, kids can put their money away and even on the EF site people can can donate to their fund. So that is the end of my spiel and
032if you have any questions, happy to try to answer. Yes, Tammy. How would they chosen or can anybody go? Yeah, that's a great question. So it's open to all juniors and seniors. So anyone who fits that category of a junior and senior, I think that's always been the try to take the upper classmen and we go every two years. That means by the time you're a junior or senior, you have a chance to go on the international trip. And families are welcome to go and Kim, please. I do want to clarify that there is like this is not a fundraising to pay your way to go. Um there was no way we could ever do a trip if we promise that because like we that amount of money, that ridiculous amount of money would pay
033for three students, which we would not be able to do a trip. So and and that was 30 students raising money for two years to get that amount. Um so parents have to have the wherewithal to be able to pay for the trip and that fundraising takes some of that money out and pays for tips and extra things that we do not want to have to add on to their already trip. So we try to make it as affordable as we can, but we don't want people to think they're going to be able to go for free cuz it just doesn't happen. I wish we could do that, but they would have to start raising money in kindergarten. Which would not a bad idea, I don't think, but Yeah, thank you, Kim. And EF does
034offer um a financial plan with zero interest. So if parents choose it, there's monthly payments. I I understand it's a it's a sacrifice and unfortunately we can't take everyone, but for those who are able to find a way and and juniors and seniors, as we know, they do have cars and access to jobs and if it's a choice they make, it's a choice they can make. So juniors and seniors, to answer your question. Thank you, Timmy. >> I I I'm interested in that because my daughter in eighth grade went on the People to People to People Ambassador ship program and went to Europe for three weeks and she had just gotten out of eighth grade when she went in the summer and she got to make one phone call home in that three-week period and
035she was staying with a host family for three days in Denmark. And she called me and they only had a short time to talk and all she talked about was digging potatoes out of the garden and getting sausage for supper. >> [laughter] >> And the thatched roofed houses. Oh, sounds amazing. >> had a great time doing that. Yes, Mr. Sylvester? Oh, sorry. I'm glad you had a very good trip to Spain. These are the kind of events that kids remember forever and their families and we're very glad you got so many to go. Costa Rica is a very different kind of location that's not ordinarily a lot of people travel to as but I've known people in 4-H and they have some international projects down there and they love it down there. So I think
036you made a good choice. Well, thank you. I'm I'm excited and I was hoping that others might be as well, but yeah, thank you. Oh, that's great. I Kim, I just wanted to thank you for your dedication to this. Uh just just awesome. So, hats off to you. Thank you for uh taking over. That's uh wonderful. I'm glad that we have people that that really know what they're doing uh when it comes to this, so we can entrust our kids uh with you. And I just have something I'm a little bit of a foodie. And so, you mentioned that some of the students over in Spain tried some foods that they never thought they would try. Can you give us an idea? I mean, were they eating snail? What were they I'm trying to think
037of the name. It's octopus. >> Escargot? Did they do okay? >> An octopus. And paella is not like that exotic, but they did eat it. I will say that I ate glass eels for the first time >> Oh, wow. because even though they're like sourced in Maine, like I've never seen one on a menu ever in my life and and they had glass eel croquetas in Spain and I ate one. I would not order it again, but The the market in Barcelona [clears throat] was gorgeous. The just the food and the meats and the fruit and the spice Yeah, going through there it was really great experience for the kids at the Barcelona market. >> I will say that like I think the gelato places made a lot of money. There were a lot of
038gelato eaters for lunch, but you know, it's cheap and it just is really good. >> [laughter] >> And it will fill you up. Thanks. Any other question? Okay, at this time I would accept a motion to accept the trip the request for the trip to Costa Rica in April of 2028. So moved. Don Emery. Second. Second in the vote. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay, Mark Keller, you're up. No, no. Oh, they changed again. Oh, Chris Duca, thank you. We like to switch. >> [laughter] >> Thank you, everyone. Um my name's Chris Duca. I'm a high school special educator as well as the outdoor club advisor. Um so, I'm here to propose uh this summer's canoe trip to Rangeley from July 26th to the 31st for a
039total of 10 students and three adults. Um this trip is going to be led by two Teens to Trails certified Maine guides, um Dave Butler and Jill McMahon, as well as a high school chaperone. Um the uh Let's see here. So, this this trip um is designed to give students an opportunity to practice teamwork, build responsibility, and confidence, and learn leadership skills through the mechanism of outdoor education. Um this experience would allow students to practice these skills while learning uh about water safety in a structured environment. Um this trip would also create a meaningful experience that many of the students may not otherwise have access to. Um the itinerary, spread over 5 days, um paddling on average between 5 to 6 mi a day, um starting at the Rangeley Town Park uh boat launch and
040ending at the South Arm on uh Lower Lake Richardson or Richardson Lake. Excuse me. Um each night the students would are going to stay at a different monitored campsite uh with their guides and practice uh preparing and cleaning up their own meals. Um the fees are totally covered uh by Maine Teens to Trails. And if any gear is needed by any of the students, it can be provided through the program Maine Gear Share. So, this is a fully funded program. So, in closing, I just believe this program would provide a lasting educational and personal benefit for a lot of our students and continue represent our school community in a positive way. We've done this trip in the past and hope we can continue to do it again. So, any questions? Usually how many kids go?
041This year we're going to cap it at 10 because this is a Maine Teens to Trails trip. They're going to be leading it primarily. Typically, I think in the past, Mr. Keller, you can correct me if I'm wrong, we've had upwards of about 15 students. Anywhere from 14 to 17 in years past. Yeah. So, they they just asked that we cap it at 10 this year. Yep. Any other questions? And this is a different trip than the one we that they usually do in Jackman. Correct. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, this time this is fully run by Maine Teens to Trails. They offered it this year and said, "Hey, would you guys be interested?" Jumped at it because they are just a really well-oiled machine. I really like supporting them. So. Thank you, Chris. You got it.
042So, at this time I'd like to make a have a motion to accept the trip in Rangeley for the Outdoor Club. So moved. Don Emery. Sorry. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Unanimous. Thank you. Chris Target. >> Good evening. Um so, first of all, it's not an overnight trip I'm asking for. It's just a day trip down to Boston. So, we can change that on the the agenda there. So, basically, um it's the eighth grade end of the year trip. We take the train from um the Amtrak train from Brunswick, take it down to Boston Boston North Station. Then we walk over to the Boston Museum Boston Museum of Science where the students get to explore there until about 3 3:30. And then we take the train back and um arrive back in
043um Brunswick at about 7:00. The students are home at 9:00 at night. So. It's a trip that we've been we've been doing it for the last few years except for last year. We ended up doing the Red Sox and the science thing over there instead. Any questions for Chris? Yeah. Do the students earn this in some way through good behavior or how do you What does everybody go? Everybody's welcome to go unless the students have been suspended during the third trimester or are actually failing significantly or do have not attended school regularly. So. Pam. Is there a cost for them to go? >> No cost. No cost. >> Matter of fact, that we through our fundraising and stuff, uh this year we were able to give each each child $20 for their their lunch when
044they get down there cuz there's a bunch of different varieties for them to eat and so. Any other questions? Okay, at this time I'd like to ask for a motion to accept the request for the day trip to Boston for the eighth grade middle school students. So moved. Second. Dana and Ron? Yes. Yes. Yes. >> All those in favor? Unanimous. Okay, at this time we will have public comment. Linda Dean. Good evening. My I'm Linda Dean from Livermore. I want to welcome the newly elected school board members and recognize those continuing to serve. I appreciate anyone willing to step forward for our students, staff, families, and community. I hope this board will move forward remembering that a school board seat is a position of public trust. The work of this board should be guided by
045the needs of our students, not by outside agendas, personal ideology, fear-based messaging, or pressure from organizations that do not live with the consequences of the decisions made here. School board members have a responsibility to follow ethical standards, respect the law, listen to the community, and above all, protect the well-being of every student in this district. This board has serious work ahead. One of the biggest issues facing our district is absenteeism. When students are missing school, we need to ask why and look beyond blame and towards real solutions. Some families are struggling and some students feel disconnected, unsafe, unsupported, or unheard. Others may be dealing with anxiety, bullying, poverty, or challenges at home. Bullying is also part of this conversation. Students who feel targeted, isolated, or unsafe are less likely to attend and less able to
046learn. The board has a responsibility to make sure its policies reduce the risk of bullying, not increase it. Every student deserves dignity and safety. And if we want students to come to school, we have to give them a school worth coming to with the tools, supplies, programs, activities, library time, teachers, support staff, and resources they all need. School has to be a place where students feel they belong, where they are welcome when they walk through the doors, and where every child has at least one trusted adult where and where decisions bring students in, not push them away. Students learn better when they feel safe. They attend more often when they feel connected, and they succeed when they know they matter. Like many rural communities, our our area faces challenges attracting new jobs and investment. But
047one of the strongest things we can offer is an excellent public school system. Strong schools help keep families here, attract new families, support local businesses, and show employers this is a community worth investing in. So, my hope for this board is simple. Stay focused on students, all students. Make decisions based on facts, fairness, law, and compassion. Our students deserve a board that leads with integrity, builds trust, and gives every student a fair chance to learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you. Thank you, Linda. Okay, next we have student representatives, Mason. Uh so, um I'd like to give the board an update on um, athletics and a couple of other things going on here at high school. Um, uh, track had a meet yesterday uh, at Telstar. Congratulations to uh, Kai Tor for breaking the school for
048breaking the school record uh, in the in long jump in his first year running track. And congratulations to Linda Lake for beating her own record of 800. Uh, girls softball had a successful win against uh, Hall-Dale yesterday. Uh, softball and baseball have a home game tomorrow uh, against Monmouth. And um, the the Spruce Mountain High School band had a wonderful concert this past Tuesday here in the gym uh, here in the cafeteria. Uh, and there was um, some wonderful displays set up in the in the um, gym from our uh, digital media group and um, art. Thank you, Mason. Board comments. Andrew. As a veteran board member, I'd like to welcome back the uh, previous board members I've served with and extend a welcome to the newly elected board representatives. Um, it's a great responsibility.
049We all have a part and I look forward to working with all of you. Congratulations on your elections and let's have a good year. Thank you, Andrew. Tanya. I want to congratulate Mr. Mason for getting Foster Tech Student of the Year. Um, very well done, sir. Proud of you. THAT'S AWESOME. >> [applause] >> ANYONE ELSE? I'D LIKE TO say Tanya and I um were at the honors banquet and we want to congratulate all of the students that received honors and it was a very well done meal and a very well done program and Mason shined there as well. So, congratulations to all of them. All right, now we are going to hear from our superintendent Scott Albert. Good evening. As I had stated in the main monitor article, I wanted to thank the citizens of
050Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls for putting kids first and approving our school budget during these difficult financial times. It is truly appreciated. I also attended the senior honors banquet. It was a great night celebrating our best and brightest seniors and their accomplishments. Our cafeteria workers put out an excellent meal that night. As you can say I see I like to eat, so. Um I had the opportunity to read to a pre-K and a kindergarten class since our last board meeting. I also attended the Western Maine Superintendents meeting where we discussed budget concerns that everyone in the state is experiencing. I was able to chair the Western Maine recertification committee where we approved an initial recertification plan for an area administrator. And I also attended the Western Maine Steering Committee meeting where we approved recertification for
05120 administrators in the Western Maine area. Any questions for Scott? Thank you, Scott. Next up is T.J. Thorne. Good evening, everyone. Um, I'm going to go through the enrollment. I have some bulleted things here. Enrollment is 408. Our attendance has gone down a little bit. Um, 10 uh, 0.4%. And for disciplinary stats, it's some of the things that you guys do need to have. Uh, phone related detentions, uh, 28 of them since the last, well, from when we started doing this. Uh, sent from class detentions is about 15 right now. Um, which didn't go up much at all, either. Phone suspensions, uh, that's eight. That didn't go up from the last time. We haven't suspended any for phone detention for for phone issues. Other suspensions, uh, we had 12. Uh, I think that added, uh,
052four. And in-school suspensions, we had 10. We added quite a few more of those. Those usually have to do with kids trying to skip out of school and uh, leaving school grounds. And we don't want them to leave, so we keep them in. In-school suspensions. Uh, new years are on, uh, almost done. I think this is our last week. Um, actually, we have until next week, but uh, they'll be done this week. Uh, that same thing with our main three year, which is only for our sophomore students. Uh, that has been completed. Our prom, I got to tell you, prom was a huge success. Uh, we had it over at, uh, the back, what is it called? Boom Dawgs. Boom Dawgs, yeah. It's over in the Boom Dawgs in, uh, Canton. It was a nice
053event. I have to tell you, the people the people that own and run the place uh, said that that was the our prom was the best prom they have ever ever had. And they've been doing for quite a few years now. Uh, kids had a very nice night. We even had some horses there. Kids were able to take some selfies with some horses. They really enjoyed that. But it was a good night. No issues. I'm going to tell you no issues and it was a really nice night. Yeah, I do want to say thank you for coming to the honors banquet. It means a lot when our board takes some time out of their night to come in for a the honors banquet. We also have quite a few more happening here pretty soon. So,
054I hope to see you there and I have sent if you look on our website, we have a ton of events that are coming final events for us. We also had an eighth grade parent night on Monday this past week for our new students coming in. It was very well attended. I took the people on on a little tour of the building and it's so nice to see parents wanting to be in here and seeing what we have to offer. And it was really cool. I brought them down to the shop wing and our shop teacher Danny Latham was already in there and this was at 7:00 at night and he was already working, you know, so we have people that are very dedicated. I just want to point that out to everybody. One other
055thing that I have is fine arts night. Thank you Mason for bringing that up. It is a it's a hard thing to see a woman like Diane Fenelton do her last show for band. However, she has another one coming up for Rock of Ages. So, if you have a chance, it's on history night. If you come down come to here on history night, it is not this week. Next week, right next Friday. So, come on in. What's that? Yes. Yes. Yes. So, come on in, have some fun with us. We have a good time. And the following day after that, Danny Latham is doing a car show right out back here. Uh we invite a bunch of people with some cars uh and uh they do a raffle. Um they raise a little money for
056their programs. That's a great night great night. So, please come in and have a good time. All right? That's all I have. Any questions for T.J.? Yes. Just a quick question. When is actual graduation? The 7th. The 7th. Yeah, Sunday the 7th at 1:00 p.m. I have not made a decision if it's outside or inside yet. Yeah. So. I don't want to be outside in the rain again. So, we it's uh if I have any smallest amount of rain in the forecast, it's going to be inside. So, I do want to give our kids a little shot of maybe having it outside. So, all right? Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you, T.J. Yep. Community service day. It is next Wednesday. We do have a bunch of things going on that day. We're going to
057be over at the ski slope. We're going to be down into town. We're going to be painting here at the school. We're going to be out around the school. Um Rob Taylor is having a bunch of uh advisory programs that are going to be out doing the uh trails up behind the school and down at French Falls, Pine Island. Um we're we're all over the place on that day. So, if you see us, give us a toot as you're driving by. Give our kids a little cheer up. So, it'd be good. All right? Thank you for the shout. Thank you. Dr. Good evening and welcome to new board members for this evening. Our enrollment currently we have 318 students. Year-to-date just quick behavior report out. We have 507 minor office referrals, majors. Spring assessments are
058coming up. We have begun the home stretch for those. We have a lot in the primary school. We decided to hold off on some of those digital ones to the end of the year so we can get as much instruction in as possible. So for the next board meeting and hopefully I'll share out some of that data. June 4th is our spring concert. It's during the day. Parents come and kind of like do a they filter out for each grade level. June 10th is going to be our field day. That's one of our favorite days. We have an overwhelming response for parent volunteers which kind of melted our hearts. We're going to think about how we can do this a little bit better because it does cost us money to do the background checks and
059we kind of have to make sure we're also thinking diligently about that. But if we have that much many parents that want to be in our schools, we don't want to turn them away either. So we got to figure that that piece out. But we are really thinking about that for next year. At my last board report I made a few waves. So I just want to clarify some things. We want to ensure that the community understands that another recent article was interpreted by some in a way that was never intended. The purpose of the article was to recognize and celebrate the incredible efforts of the staff at Spruce Mountain Primary School especially during teacher appreciation week. Not to criticize or shame parents in any way. When I emailed her about setting up a time
060to talk, it was to educate the community on all the ways we are increasing attendance and decreasing behavior. That's specifically what I said at the meeting. The only thing to note about bullying was that because parents aren't reaching out to me as the administrator about this, we can't link bullying to students not wanting to be at school. In fact, I got to share a quick story because this week I was meeting with kids during lunch who got perfect attendance. And I asked them all, I said, "You guys must be ready and excited for summer vacation." And every single one of them said, "No. We want to be here. We wish school was year-round." So, that right there tells you the culture of our building. Our Our staff go above and beyond to love and care
061for these kids, and it just melted my heart. And it's because of the staff who make these kids feel welcomed, loved, safe, and at home. When I walk into classrooms, it's like a little family. And yes, sometimes fighting like brothers and sisters because after all they are with each other 5 days a week, 7 hours a day in the same room. During our conversation with the news article person, we discussed that many ways staff members go above and beyond each day to support students and help meet their basic needs so they are better able to access their education. Research shows that students are more successful when their foundational needs, such as food, clothing, hygiene, and emotional support are met. And in some situations, and always with family permission and collaboration, we help provide these supports
062through grants and donations. Staff support each other during difficult times when there's power outages or water issues. This is simply part of our culture of care and support we strive to provide every day, and we believe those efforts deserve recognition. The love and nurturing that the staff at the primary school exhibit for all children should be celebrated, not discouraged. The article was also intended to highlight and educate parents on many academic and behavioral supports available at the primary school, and that a lot of that information was completely left out. So, if the article came across as blaming or criticizing parents, that was absolutely not our intention, nor is how we want our community to feel. I also noticed the word accountability mentioned. Accountability is an important part of my role and applies to students, staff,
063and parents alike. And when we share data regarding attendance and behavior, which is what you guys asked for, it's hard to hear that 5 to 7% of students are struggling with consistent attendance and behavioral support follow-through with parents. However, these concerns are real, documented through daily phone calls, emails, and communication. It's fact. We literally have to write it in PowerSchool the reason why they called them out. Our goal is not to place blame, but to raise awareness about challenges schools across the country are facing regarding attendance, behavior, and family support needs. For students with significant behavioral challenges, we often encourage families to seek outside support services because there are limits to what we can alone provide. When a child becomes aggressive, staff are required to follow safety care techniques and provide students with that safety.
064We take those responsibilities seriously and follow those required procedures at all times. We remain committed to partnering with families in the community to support every child's success in a caring, respectful, and supportive environment. And we are grateful to all the parents for their dedication they show each day in supporting their child's education and reinforcing the importance of learning. By encouraging strong work habits, such as arriving on time, completing assignments, and showing respect for others, families help prepare students to become successful, hard-working individuals, and hopefully the future leaders of our three towns. Any questions for Doxy? Tanya. I'm not a question, but a comment. Um I appreciated you coming to the board with that information because we can't fix things or help fix things, I'm not sure what the answer is, if we don't know about
065it. So, I did really appreciate it, and I did not get that you were laying all the blame on the parents. I mean, I feel like this is such a multi-faceted problem, but I do hope that we can maybe help in some way. Not sure how, but I appreciate the honesty. Any other questions for the doctor? I just have a comment. Um basically the same as Tanya. I thank you for your honesty and I hope that we can help um and maybe you know, work together in trying to solve some of the attendance problems. I feel like I hear from Tanya, it is a multi-faceted problem um and it will take a lot of brainstorming probably to get some solutions, but hopefully we can work together and work towards that. >> And it's not a
066crisis, like I said, right? It's It's It's just How can we get the 5%? We're talking 5%. Right. To collaborate with us. Right. Okay, thank you, doctor. >> You're welcome. Chris Carr. All right. So, currently the uh middle school has an enrollment of 267 and our year-to-date daily attendance average is still holding strong at 94%. On April 16th and 17th, our sixth grade students visited the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and learned about Maine marine and oceanic life. On April 16th, our eighth grade students did some volunteer raking for some local uh community members. Eighth grade also will be reading to the primary students tomorrow. Tomorrow we also are having a our April student of the month Phoenix Award Assembly. On Monday, May 18th, eight eighth grade students will be visiting the Holocaust Human Rights
067Center and the University of Maine at Augusta. On May 19th, we have incoming sixth grade parent and student information night. On May 27th, which is I just asked permission for for eighth grade to be headed to the Boston Museum of Science. On June 2nd and 3rd, our seventh graders will be participating in the Challenger Space Mission in the Cole Transportation Museum up in Bangor. And on June 9th, our sixth graders will be headed to the York Wildlife Animal Kingdom. Uh our field day will be June 11th. Eighth grade promotion is June 12th and our step up day is the last day of school on June 15th. During this month of May, we have our main three-year assessment and our star assessment that we're completing and right now our eighth grade students are currently taking the
068Atoms Science assessment. We've had 47 out of school suspensions so far this year and 26 in school. And last year at this time we had 59 out of school and 35 in school. It's my pleasure to speak first. Thank you. >> Pat will be here tonight. Um Sherry Parker. Good evening. Um in special education, we currently have 330 students. This is 15 fewer than my April report. This does include 13 open referrals, which is seven fewer than my previous report. At the primary school, we currently have seven students with IEPs. The elementary school has 84. The middle school has 73, and the high school has 103. We have 14 students at out-of-district special purpose schools for day treatment programming, three at the primary level, three at the elementary, four at the middle school, and four
069at the high school. This is um continues to be the same as my previous report. The primary school special education teachers, kindergarten teachers, and I began our transitional IEP meetings for the students coming in from child development services who will be entering kindergarten in the fall. We currently have 15 students with active IEPs who will be entering kindergarten and seven that are in the referral process through child development services. In accordance with special education law, RSU 73 will become responsible for these individualized education plans beginning August 27th, 2026, when these students enter kindergarten. Through holding these transition meetings as well as the two kindergarten registration days at the primary school where they do the kindergarten screenings for all incoming case students, it's very evident that we have a population of kindergarten students who've not been
070involved with preschool programs, daycares, or playgroups. And that school readiness is no longer about numbers, letters, colors, and shapes, but it's also about learning how to play and interact with other children. These concerns go beyond my previous concerns about students with disabilities not receiving IEP services through CDS. Darcy and I did sit with the kindergarten teachers to brainstorm the best approach to address these needs within the learning environment, and this collaboration will likely need to continue through the beginning of the school year. On August 27th, we'll also acquire the special education service responsibility for students age four within Jay Livermore and Livermore Falls. This includes child find responsibility for evaluation for children age four who have a suspected area of disability as well as services determined by the IEP team to be disability related. We
071receive monthly child count updates from the Department of Education and at this time we know there are seven active IEPs and six children in the evaluation process. These services do not have to be provided within our public pre-K classrooms, but our district will be responsible to provide the services required by each student's IEP. We will have a better idea of where we need to deliver these special education service and related services after our pre-K registration days at the primary school. Any questions for Sherry? Yeah. I don't know if I heard this right. Is So, are you saying there's like 13 that may four-year-olds? Mhm. 13? So, there are seven definite that will have special education services and then the other six are currently being evaluated by child development services. And we have to provide the
072services in Jay Livermore or Livermore Falls. But, if they're attending Head Start instead of our public pre-K, then we have to go to Head Start and provide those services. So, we don't have a Head Start here now? At the bottom of that hill, there's a Head Head we would go there to that Head Start. >> Okay. Thanks. Any other questions? Thank you, Sherry. Thank you. So, I'm going to do things a little different. Um I want to welcome all the new board members and I would like to start with Don Emery and go around the table and everybody introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about themselves. Please, Kathy, I see you scowling at me. >> [laughter] >> I knew there was a reason I voted against you. >> [laughter] >> Uh Don Emery
073from Livermore Falls. Uh been on the board for 3 years. I'm a veteran. I like to cook. And uh and I'm happy to be here. Kathy Bryant from Livermore Falls. I From Livermore Falls. I have two kids in Spruce Mountain and that's why I'm here. Hello, I'm Matt Bernat. Uh I've lived in Jay for almost 50 years, my entire life. Uh I own my dad's place. And my wife and I uh have grown quite a business in this area and I really want to put 100% in giving back to the schools and the community and that is my pledge. I'm Avery Ryder. I'm currently morbidly sick, so I'm sorry. Um but I am a sophomore at USM now and I'm going for criminology and law. I'm Jamie Ferrari. I live in Livermore Falls. I grew
074up in Jay. Um I went to school here >> [laughter] >> a long time ago. Um I have two children and and five, six grandchildren and they keep me pretty busy. Holly Morris. Um I've been on the board for 4 years. I have 2 more years in my term. Um I'd like to make the board um like I said earlier, just more approachable um and be more inclusive with everybody and I live in Livermore. I lived other places, but I came back to Livermore 4 years ago um and I live basically where I grew up. >> [laughter] >> That's fair. Um I'm Tamara Hook. Uh I also grew up in Livermore to the school. 20 years ago, Matt and I were in the same class. Um I'm the library director at Jay Niles and I
075love obviously reading. I know it's kind of a given. Um and hiking and spending time with our four kids. Uh Sarah Jameson, I live in Livermore. This is my second year on the board. Um I moved away for a number of years, but moved back to Livermore uh where I live where I grew up. I have a fifth grader, soon to be sixth grader um and I'm pro science cuz I work for the weather service. So don't blame me for the chilly soggy weather, but you can thank me for this weekend. It's going to be delightful. But it's going to be 90 on Tuesday, Chris. So I'm not sure about that middle school thing. My name is Tanya DeMillo and I was born and raised in Jay. Never left. Moved 7 miles from my birth
076home. Um I have three children and seven grandkids that keep us very busy. I'm Don Strout. I grew up in Livermore Falls. Now I currently live in North Jay. I have seven grandchildren. Five of them go to this school system, so that's why I'm here. My name is Andrew Sylvester. I'm kind of the new kid on the block. I've only lived here about 30 years. I grew up on the coast. Um I got on the board about 8 years ago because I had half a dozen friends who thought it would be a good idea for me to be here and wrote my name in. But uh I've served since and I've grown to love the role and I uh want to continue to do it. I'm retired from the Miller Rumford and I work part-time
077now a couple days a week at Motor Supply just to keep myself active in the community. I've got uh two grandchildren, 2 years and one four months who'll be in the system here shortly. Hopefully it'll be a good system. Uh my name is Mason. Um Uh I've been a representative this last school year on the board. Um I'm a senior here at the high school. Um I next year will be attending UMO for business. Um and I just wanted to join the board um to to understand what the board does and um try to make um Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls um better for uh the future that that is coming um and that I want to come to these three towns. Thank you, everybody. And thank you, Mason, for keeping us straight with the
078Robert's Rules. We're going to miss you next school year. So, we will have committee assignments for the new board. Um we'll be emailing out, um, a list of the different committees and you can choose what committees you would like to be on and we'll figure that all out and let everybody know what committees um, everybody's on and Thank you. >> [laughter] >> So, we'll work on that. Um, we don't have a Okay, so we'll be working on that. So, Okay, the district budget referendum results. Uh, the total number of votes cast in the municipalities within Region School Unit 73 in the affirmative and in the negative on Articles 1 and 2 of the warrant and notice of election of the Regional School Unit budget referendum held April 28th, 2026 relating to the adoption of the
079Regional School Unit's 2026-27 budget are as follows. For Article 1, that was the school budget, the town of Jay, 465 affirmative, 207 negative, 13 blanks. The town of Livermore, 152 affirmative, 146 negative, two blanks. Town of Livermore Falls, 146 affirmative, 111 negative, 464 negative and 20 blanks. Article 2, which was the boiler project. Town of Jay, affirmative 510, negative 159, blank 16. Town of Livermore, affirmative 135, negative 160, blank five. Town of Livermore Falls, 179 affirmative, so negative, and four blanks. For total votes of 824 affirmative, 398 negative, and 25 blanks. So, both passed. So, school board declaration of votes, is that what you just did? So, you did on that So, can we do the total here? Okay. I'm going to say it first. >> [laughter] >> All right. I'm sorry. Just as much
080as that. Um Do you have to read the or just read your vote? Just read your vote. Okay. Uh be it voted that the computation and declaration of votes dated April 28th, 2026, and attached here to be approved, that the computation and declaration of votes be entered upon the records of regional school unit number 73, that a certified copy of the computation and declaration of votes be sent to each of municipal clerks within the regional school unit, and that the foregoing computation and declaration shall be signed by a majority of the school board, and that these signatures may be made electronically by execution of counterparts or in person at the convenience of the members of the school board. I'll second that. All those in favor? I. And this will be one of the things you
081guys will be signing before you leave tonight. Board members, remember that. Don't leave before you sign. The warrant I'll have Sarah read this one. The warrant is just the motion. Motion. I move that the warrant for assessment of tax and the assessment schedule and notice of installments of tax for each member municipality prepared by the treasurer for fiscal year period 2026 to 2027 be approved and be issued in form presented to this meeting and that the treasurer be authorized and directed to deliver to each member municipality its warrant for assessment of tax and its assessment schedule and notice of installments of tax. Second. Seconded by Don. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. What's that? Nobody opposed. Nobody opposed. Anybody opposed? Nope. unanimous So, now we're going to We need to vote to go into executive
082session. Can someone make a motion? So moved. Second. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. This is Brian. Shout. >> Mhm. >> We're going to vote. Uh I'm going to ask for a motion that we accept the contract renewal for all the people in section 17 17-1 through 17-9. Can I get a motion? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? unanimous I'd like to say that we're going to take a 5-minute break. And we'll be back in 5 minutes. >> Mhm. >> So, I run past this? Okay. Go back into executive at 7:34. And I need a motion to go back into executive session. So moved. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. >> Mhm. >> So moved. Second. All right. I already answered that thing. You're you're so on it. Any
083motion to accept the second-year probationary contracts of the people on the list 1712 through 1714? So moved. Second. All of those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. I need to have a motion to accept the continuing contracts motion through 1725. So moved. Second. All of those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Unanimous. Okay, we have Everybody has their open review of the higher We hired the resignation and the hire. Calendar of announcements. Um May 25th is Memorial Day holiday. May 28th, regular school board meeting here at the high school with the finance committee at 5:30. June 11th, regular board meeting here at the high school. June 25th, regular board meeting here at the high school with a finance committee at 5:30. I do have a couple of community events going on this weekend
084I'd like to mention. We're having a benefit for Ken Lyman. He's battling cancer. That's going to be at the Little Moore Community Center on Saturday from 11:00 to 3:00 and a lot of uh us are involved in that. Don Emery's the cook for the port and then St. Rose is having a Hold on a second. But they're having a pizza thing >> [laughter] >> Saturday evening for the student for elementary kids, I think. But I can't get into my phone right now. So anyway, I guess I need a motion to adjourn. >> [laughter] >> So moved.