On March 28, Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Patricia Royall and Community Resources Council board member Holly Stover, speaking as the Education and Regional Workforce Opportunities Committee (ERWOC), presented a Workplace Opportunities Training Initiative that seeks to connect with students exploring their interests.

The committee has been hosting meetings with local businesses and organizing needs assessments for the past six months. Royall said the initiative is looking to offer educational training across the board for students and community members “… to match workforce educational opportunities with the needs of our prospective employees and employers with the goal of improving the quality of life in our community.”

Stover and Royall announced that eight ERWOC members will tour Mount Blue High School in Farmington to see the varied opportunities students and community members have. They welcomed Principal Dan Welch to extend invitations to students who might be interested, estimating the tour would likely accommodate around 20 more people.

Interim Superintendent Bob Webster announced the 2018-2019 budget will be 1.37 percent higher than the last school year.

AOS 98 School Board Chair Jon Bertolet announced that the first phase of the superintendent selection process – background searches and interviews – has concluded. The search committee will now be turning over recommendations to the AOS 98 School Board whigh will take over from there.

“I can’t give you any more number data or stuff like that,” said Bertolet. “But I think if we could hold out for one more CSD meeting, by next April, we’re going to have some real, real definite results to report. So, things are moving.”

English teacher Mark Gorey asked what the possibility would be for a meeting or forum for the public to meet potential superintendents. Bertolet said it may be possible, but candidates – some of whom may want confidentiality due to present employment – would have to agree to it.

Boothbay Region Elementary School Assistant Principal Tricia Campbell announced that both the high school and elementary schools coordinated for a successful lockdown drill on Friday, March 23. This marks the first time both schools have participated in a lockdown which took only 12 minutes to complete.

“We met ahead of time with local authorities, staff and personnel to review how we would secure the buildings. Prior to that, our teachers went over drill expectations and what that would look like with the students,” said Campbell. “Things are moving quickly, but it’s very impressive to see the work that’s been done and people have been right on it.”.

The committee voted to adopt the proposed 2018-2019 AOS 98 calendar which will see pre-k through ninth grade begin on Wednesday, Aug.  29 and tenth through twelfth grade on Thursday, August 30. The school year is scheduled to end Monday, June 10 if no snow days are used.

The committee approved Kerrin Erhard as a full-time librarian for the high school, Campbell as the 2017-2018 curriculum specialist, and Lisa Sharp as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act assistant coordinator.

The committee meets next at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11.