Wiscasset Middle High School, Principles of Democracy students recently attended a Wiscasset selectboard meeting to gain a deeper knowledge of municipal government. 

Makayla Bush, class president, mentioned, “We witnessed how local governance impacts our community. The discussion on traffic issues highlighted the challenges residents face daily, emphasizing the selectmen's role in addressing these concerns.”

Sarah Whitfield, chair of the selectboard, acknowledged the students. Selectman Terry Heller visited the students in class in advance to provide a detailed analysis of tax valuation and local policy issues. 

Olivia Warlick said, “While observing the very informative selectboard meeting, I realized that having different opinions matters on a committee like that. The board members were very open to individual ideas expressed by the crowd.”

The agenda covered treasurer’s warrants, a Wawenock Block update, a traffic safety audit and business license applications. The students learned about roles and responsibilities of selectmen and the importance of local governance and public service on a local community.

Henry Putnam observed, “It was very interesting to see how formal a town meeting is even in a small town like ours, hearing about people's opinions on the roads and the downtown area.”

The principles of democracy course is modeled after AP U.S. government, and civics course with a place-based education philosophy, taught by Shanon Cotta. A place-based approach connects learning and communities with the primary goals of increasing student engagement boosting academic outcomes, impacting communities and promoting understanding of the world around us.