Bill Bailey of Boothbay said he has been very involved in local education ever since watching his daughter grow up and graduate through the Boothbay school system.

Now that his daughter Christin is enrolled at Thomas College, Bill Bailey is running for an open chair on the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District School Committee.

In the 14 years that Bailey has lived year-round in Boothbay, he has sat on various local committees. He was president of the YMCA Board of Trustees and was a member of Rebuilding Together, a community service organization in Lincoln County.

Bailey has remained an active member of the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club, and is currently president of the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund, a nonprofit that provides $200,000 of scholarship grants every year to college bound students from Boothbay Region High School.

“I believe that providing quality education for our children is one of the most important challenges that we as a community face, and I want to help that grow,” Bailey said.

Bailey commended the work of BRHS guidance counselor Jennifer Burns and the rest of the staff for the 94 percent of seniors that have applied for college this year.

While there have been many positive things happening in the local schools, Bailey said he doesn't think there is just one absolute right way to help students further their education.

“I think one of the main things is to get students early on to understand what they can be and believe in that,” Bailey said. “I would like to see every kid that graduates here, have an interest and opportunity to continue education.”

The election will take place May 6, at the Boothbay Town Office between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m, followed by the annual town meeting at 7:30 p.m.