Committee members and several members of the public agreed Jan. 23, passion is at the root of recent heated discussions on potential project costs. The Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor CSD School Committee debriefed the board of trustees and was met with a churning public sentiment that days are numbered for Boothbay region students learning on the peninsula they call home.

“Ideas are being put out there … consolidate the schools, we can fix both of them, or we can bus them all out. That being said, a lot of the locals are sitting there going 'We're going to lose our schools,'” said Boothbay Harbor resident Lucy Cressey.

Assured that neither the committee nor the trustees want that or believe that is going to happen, Cressey said the feeling is out there and the “dread is palpable.” Rumors a hard thing to put to rest, vice chair Stephanie Hawke said. She said the upside is, people are talking and taking matters seriously, but everyone, including board and committee members, will need to become more active in attending meetings.

Cressey agreed: “And there are a lot of meetings … If there's a way to get the word out there that's the last thing that both committees want, it would help.”

Superintendent Keith Laser said he has been considering that the CSD may want to engage a professional planner. Citing the temperature of the trustees meeting, Laser said a planner may be able to point out solutions the boards and communities have not considered.

“There was passion, there was pain at the (trustees) meeting. (Professionals) cut through that stuff and give us their best estimate and we do what we want with it … Quite honestly, I don't think we can do this by ourselves. There are too many issues, there is too much emotion, there are too many factors in all of this.”

Committee members agreed that while efforts and joint efforts must continue, it may be good to look into the possibility of a professional strategist.

Also Jan. 23, Scott Hardwick pitched the idea of a Boothbay Region High School boys lacrosse team this spring. With a successful youth program through the Boothbay Region and CLC YMCA for the past eight years, 16 rising freshmen and current BRHS athletes intend to participate if the team gets the green light.

“It's a sport that's been growing nationwide, statewide and in our own community. We had 53 kids involved in the youth program last year, most from the CLC, but the majority were from Boothbay.”

Lacrosse, a spring sport, fields 10 players per team and, much like football, is a contact sport played with pads and helmets and can be just as expensive, said Hardwick, who estimates it will cost around $500 per athlete.

With no money in the budget this year, Hardwick said if approved the program should be able to meet costs with fundraising. Laser and BRHS Principal Dan Welch said the big disclaimer would be that if the committee approves the addition of the sport, the school would have to cover any costs fundraising cannot muster before the season begins. However, Hardwick said that with the committee's blessing, the program would be eligible to apply for grants through US Lacrosse, the national governing body for the sport.

Coach Mark Gorey said with only five returning players for tennis he worries about the introduction of a new sport sinking any hope of fielding a team this spring. Gorey noted that last year, several spring coaches spoke to the issues of fielding spring sports teams and that track, in particular, is likely to take the brunt.

Several parents supported the creation of the team and expressed concern that the committee would not approve a sport growing in popularity simply because other teams are finding difficulty fielding a team.

“I understand,” said Hardwick. “But we’ve already approached five former youth lacrosse players who all intend on playing tennis … If (lacrosse) starts out with 16 this year, by 2020 based on current enrollment at the Y program, that number would be 21 and by 2021 it would be 26 kids. By 2022 we'd be up to 28.”

Welch said he and Athletic Director Allan Crocker would work some numbers out and come back to the committee in a couple days so they can base any decisions on more definitive data.

Two BRHS robotics teams presented their creations to the committee and their experiences competing at two events this year. Teacher Chris Liberti explained how the competition works, and students Will LaBrecque, Bayly Gaughan-Carrasco, Olivia Paolillo and Reagan Cola further explained it as they toured their robots around the library for committee members and the audience to see.

Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library’s Desiree Scorcia suggested the committee move up the school’s start time.

“It's better for a host of things like academic performance, depression, anxiety, fatigue, suicidal ideation and completed suicide, automobile and pedestrian accidents, athletic performance, excess weight gain, risk taking and delinquent behavior, and psychological, social and serious physical difficulties which include illnesses.”

With the difficulty of schedule changes, Scorcia suggested the CSD perhaps try the method incrementally over the next few years. The committee plans to discuss the proposal at the next meeting.

Math teacher Chip Schwehm proposed selling equipment the workshop no longer uses, including an engine parts cleaner, TIG welder and tubing bender. Schwehm would intend for the estimated $3,000 in funds to go into the industrial arts fund and toward future buys such as a CNC router, metal lathe and band saw.

Bound by a "school property disposition," which outlines a lengthy process the superintendent must take to sell school equipment, the committee asked Laser if it could override the rule and let Schwehm sell the equipment. Laser said he would find an answer.

Boothbay Region Elementary School Assistant Principal Tricia Campbell announced that with the fast approaching end of the Lady Dribblers' 2018-2019 season, the first through fifth grade athletes will make a halftime appearance at St. Joseph's College at 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 as the Lady Monks face off against the Suffolk Rams.

Welch said the high school gymnasium has had its sound system upgraded. The new system was paid for mostly with funds left over from the class of 2018's fundraising efforts and the rest was paid for through the high school boosters club.

“It sounds great, the kids are excited, and I'd say that's the last piece that needed to be done for the gym. We've invested significant funds there the last five or so years and I think we can finally say that's done.”