The Edgecomb School Committee is brainstorming ways of educating voters about their $3.76 million Fiscal Year 25 budget proposal. The committee presented its draft to Edgecomb Budget Committee members on Feb. 28. The draft included a 10.07% spending increase and a 21.21% ($551,072) rise in town assessment.

During their March 11 meeting, Chairman Heather Sinclair described the Feb. 28  meeting with budget committee members as a “good meeting.” She added the budget committee was appreciative in the continued quality of the school’s work. “I think it went well,” Sinclair said. “During a recent Edgecomb Eddy open house, selectmen and budget committee members attended which led to several personal conversations about the school.”

The committee’s next step is persuading residents at the May 18 town meeting. The school committee discussed ways to provide residents with budget information. Among suggestions was promoting the town vote on school newsletters sent to parents. But Sinclair warned about not appearing to campaign for the school budget’s passage.

“We need to be careful. There is a difference between information and telling people how to vote. We need to be aware of that,” she said.

The committee will further discuss informational plans next month.

In other action, the committee accepted educational technician III Sylvia Morrison’s resignation, and approved her transfer to Boothbay Region Elementary School. The committee hired Natalia Gosselin as her replacement. Gosselin has previously worked in the school as a substitute. She is currently working toward a degree in social work. “Natalia is a great fit for our school. She is educated, and is a familiar face,” said Principal Tom Landberg. 

Landberg updated committee members about the Positive Behavior Intervention Supports  (PBIS) program, which is a school-wide initiative. Students earn “Eagle Nest” tickets for demonstrating expected behavior during school. A weekly drawing is held for such prizes as having lunch with the principal, teaching the school dog new tricks, or assisting in the school office.

Boothbay Harbor resident Tom Perkins attended the meeting via Zoom. He requested information on how much tuition Edgecomb pays Community School District for their grade 7-12 students. He requested tuition costs for both primary and secondary students. The Boothbay Register asked Kahler if all tuition rates were the same. “Primary students are about $13,000. Secondary students are around $18,000, and it’s totally different for Special Ed. It depends upon programming for their rate,” he said. 

Kahler promised Perkins he would provide him tuition costs once those numbers were calculated.

Kahler also introduced a new administrative procedure recently approved by the state legislature. The procedure deals with reporting of a dangerous student, and deals with a report form. The new administrative procedure reads “upon receipt of a dangerous report incident by a teacher or school staff, an administrative unit shall review the reported incident and develop an individualized response plan. A review must be done by an administrator and an assigned public school employee. If the dangerous behavior is substantiated, the school unit in consultation with the public school employee subjected to the behavior will develop an individualized response plan.

Kahler also reported Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 schools received a waiver from Maine Department of Education and won’t have to make up two days lost to the Lewiston shooter search last year.

The school committee meets next at 6 p.m. Monday, April 8 in the school cafeteria.