The Community School District trustees are on a mission to put right what once went wrong. On Sept. 24, Chairman Sewall Maddocks Jr. of Boothbay Harbor asked for Boothbay selectmen's assistance in restoring the trustees' authority under the charter. In 2019 and 2023, the charter was changed to remove outdated language and include a few updates requested by both towns' selectmen. Boothbay selectmen told Maddocks their understanding of the 2023 major charter changes included reinstating the budget validation vote by secret ballot and all expenditures over $250,000 would receive a public vote.

But after voters approved the new charter in November 2023, the trustees lost powers and responsibilities they had from 1953 to 2023. Maddocks told selectmen the superintending school committee began performing duties trustees once had. "I read the '53 agreement, and it was pretty clear," Maddocks said. "In section 2, the school committee has the responsibility for hiring and paying teachers and the education curriculum. Everything else was handled by the trustees. We now wonder why there is even a need for a trustees board."

Former Boothbay Harbor selectman Denise Griffin also attended the Boothbay Sept. 24 selectmen's meeting. She also urged Boothbay's board to support trustees' effort to enact the third charter change in six years. "The trustees have done good work and hopefully they will continue to," she said. 

Boothbay selectmen agreed trustees should resume their previous duties. They also wanted to know how this happened and who is responsible for this detour in responsibilities. "I was on the (select) board at the time, and I want to know how this happened without any of us knowing," Selectman Russ Pinkham said. "We need to find out and get to the bottom of this."

Jennifer Whitney of Boothbay attended the selectboard meeting. She has a child who attends the high school. Whitney is also the school superintending committee chairman. Whitney agrees stripping trustees of their duties was a mistake, but she doesn't think municipal officials need to identify the party. "I'm not here as a school committee member so I can't speak on their behalf, but I don't like 'lynching' people to pinpoint who did what in 2023. I don't think it's productive or healthy. We should fix the problem, and move on."  

Pinkham and Selectman Steve Lewis disagreed with Whitney. Pinkham and Lewis believed discovering how this change occurred seemingly without selectboard approval needed further examination to prevent a future occurrence.

Boothbay selectmen reached a consensus to allow State Rep. Holly Stover to file a "place holder" bill in the state Legislature  allowing local officials to draft a new charter reinstating the trustees' original duties. 

Town Manager Dan Bryer reported Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor selectmen had until the end of business on Thursday, Sept. 25 to file the place holder bill. 

While trustees and Boothbay selectmen were surprised by the 2023 charter changes, the Boothbay Register reported in its Nov. 30, 2023 edition the proposed change in trustee duties if approved by voters. "The new charter permits the school board to perform the duties of the board of trustees if approved by voters," Staff Reporter Fritz Freudenberger reported. 

In other action, Boothbay selectmen renewed a Class A Restaurant and Temporary Extension of Premises liquor license for Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Selectmen meet next at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 in the conference room.