The last meeting before September was emotional for committee and audience members as Boothbay Regional Elementary School bid farewell to longtime principal Mark Tess. And the committee revealed there are currently three candidates being reviewed for the job.

Boothbay Region High School teacher Mark Gorey shared a letter to the committee from BRES colleague Deborah Jones about the difficulties of finding another leader like Tess.

“… What strikes me most about Mark is what a phenomenal listener he is whether he comes to my classroom or I ask to speak with him in his office, he listens first to everything I have to say. Only then does he offer his advice, suggestions or thoughts. Not once has he ever made me feel defensive. Not once. This is a skill that administrators should all have … (He) is the real deal … Filling the shoes of Mark Tess will be an extraordinary feat for you. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for being the phenomenal leader of BRES for so many years. Again, it has been an honor.”

Teachers Hildy Johnson, Kathleen Hartley and Toby LeConte also shared their sentiments that Tess has been an outstanding principal for BRES and that it will be sad to see him go. Johnson said when her children were attending BRHS, they asked why Mr. Tess couldn't be the principal there.

“ ‘He is the most honest and sincere and fair person we know,’” Johnson said quoting her children. “And I couldn't say it better myself … He supports the parents and he supports the teachers … The kids always came first and still do come first. Right up until the day he walks out of that place they'll come first. And he's going to be missed.”

Special education teacher Toby LeConte said she has always appreciated Tess's approach to problem solving; he always asks how she would want him to help before deciding to do anything.

Hartley said her fourth grade class has a surprise for Tess, part of which was a writing exercise. “The biggest part that they said about you … is how much they notice you care about them. They know you're a busy guy and you have all these demands that come down on you that are ridiculous and they have noticed as 10 year olds that you listen to them and care. They wanted that to be a big part of what they do. And, Mark, we're really going to miss you.”

Chair Larry Colcord said he hates to make Tess feel old, but nearly all the committee members – Colcord, Vice Chair Stephanie Hawke, Peggy Splaine and Kari Babcock – had kids rise through BRES under his leadership.

“We have really good kids in our town and they start with you,” said Hawke. “You are the reason we have so much success.”

Tess got farewell gifts from the CSD which included a blown up photo of Bart Starr lunging for the winning touchdown in the Ice Bowl (1967 NFL Championship Game).

The committee voted in favor of hiring Justin Curtis as a substitute bus driver and summer substitute custodian, Ashley Major as an educational technician II in the Behavior Room, and Amy Henderson as an educational technician III. Second grade teacher Ashton Harvey was granted a second year probationary contract and the following were hired for first year probationary contracts: Elizabeth Caron, Pre K; Leanne Burnham, BRHS guidance counselor; Brittany Rothwell, seventh and eighth grade, special education; Jeremy Phelps, fifth and sixth grade, language arts; and Dennis Dacus for BRES athletic director. The committee accepted retirement for Tess, special education teacher Lee Hammond and educational technician Lee Lorrain, and accepted the resignation of educational technician Roger Lajoie.

Colcord and Hawke were reelected chair and vice chair.