Students in the Wiscasset school system will soon have access to telehealth services, Superintendent of Schools Robert “Bob” England Jr. announced at the school committee meeting Dec. 13. The services will be provided virtually through Avel of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. England said 22 schools in Maine now use telehealth services. He has had experience with them in School Union 76, where he worked before coming to Wiscasset. 

Telehealth services will be provided in addition to the services the students now receive from school nurse Marilyn Sprague, England explained in a phone interview Dec. 15. He said the services will improve and expand services, support the school nurse in monitoring students’ health issues like diabetes, and help in diagnosing illnesses. Information gained through a telehealth visit can be shared electronically with students’ doctors if needed, England said. He said telehealth service will also be involved in managing 504 plans.

The state will cover the cost of telehealth for the first year, England told the school committee. 

Telehealth services will be available to students from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days, England said. There are typically one or two registered nurses available and they are consistently the same two nurses; the state now requires schools to have a registered nurse (RN), England said. He plans to have the services up and running by Feb. 1.

Also Dec. 13, the committee approved Wiscasset Speedway again for the location of graduation in June after learning the seniors voted for it.

Tina Meserve of Revision Energy spoke with the committee about possible options for providing the schools’ electricity from solar power by placing solar panels on the roof. A proposal from Revision is to be submitted for the committee to consider.

Athletic Director Cameron Bishop noted Wiscasset Ford will cover the remainder of the cost of the new scoreboard for the athletic fields at Wiscasset Middle High School. And England expressed his appreciation to Betsy Kyle, a retired teacher from Wiscasset. Kyle filled in part time as librarian until the job could be filled.

The committee approved hiring Carly Bourque, PreK teacher, for one year; Michelle Martin- PreK educational technician; Ralisha Russell, attendance secretary at WMHS; Morgan Crocker, high school girls assistant basketball coach; and Kaitlin Orne, middle school cheering coach. Elizabeth Bodkin is moving from her fifth grade teaching job to be the district’s librarian, Katie Myles is moving from educational technician at WMHS to fifth grade teacher to fill Bodkin’s slot and Patricia Hanley is returning to educational technician in kindergarten after filling in for PreK this fall.

The committee accepted the resignations of Cynthia Belk, alternative education teacher, and Isaac Edmondson, alternative educational technician and social studies teacher.