Wiscasset Middle High School students Payton Blagdon, Madison Westrich and Bryan Gagnon met with Wiscasset School Committee Feb. 15 to answer questions and explain their involvement in revising the school’s dress code policy. According to Blagdon, he and other student council members worked for months at lunch time with student council advisors, teachers and Principal Charles Lomonte to revise the policy to make it “non-targeting and as generalized as possible while keeping its core.” Further work was done with the Policy Committee members from the school committee to produce the final document.

Changes included adding accessories to clothing in describing attire and specifying that “clothing that disrupts the learning environment will not be allowed.” 

Language around acceptable clothing was made more precise by adding, “Shorts, skirts and dresses should be no shorter than mid-thigh while standing (given a standing upright position, no shorter than the end of the middle finger with the hand at the side).”

Other additions include: “Shirts and tops exposing midriff or nipples are prohibited” and blankets were added to long coats or other attire that “could be used to conceal weapons or other contraband.” Another revision states hats and other headgear may not be worn “during academic times.”

A new, special occasions provision says: “A school administrator may give exceptions to the dress code for special occasions such as spirit days, twin day, hat day, etc, and formal dances. Attire that is deemed risque (indecent, liable to shock, especially being sexually suggestive) is not appropriate.”

The committee will vote on the updated policy Feb. 21.

Bids for Wiscasset Elementary School’s elevator project were opened Feb. 6, Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert “Bob” England Jr. said. The lowest bid was $200,000 over what was budgeted, England said. He is working with the town to explore options to cover the increase.

Director of Maintenance and Transportation John Merry told Wiscasset Newspaper in a phone interview, bids were received from H.E. Callahan Construction of Auburn, Blaine Casey Building Contractor of Augusta, Doten’s Construction Inc. of Freeport, Warren Construction of Topsham and Ganneston Construction of Augusta, with Blaine Casey giving the lowest bid. Merry said a meeting with the architect and the lowest bidders is planned for March 6 to discuss “options for lowering their bid pricing.”

School nurse Marilyn Sprague demonstrated the telehealth services now being used at WES and WMHS. Sprague showed how easily she can perform basic health check tasks like taking a student's temperature, listening to their heart, or checking ears and throat for signs of illness, while using an iPad and the tools provided by the telehealth provider. 

The committee had a moment of silence at England's request in memory of Marilyn Engelhardt who had been an educational technician III at WMHS. The staff held a celebration of life Feb. 8 in the WMHS library.

England requested and the committee approved moving one of the teacher workshop days scheduled for the end of the school year to May 3 to allow staff time to work on curriculum structure.

The committee also approved the hiring of Meredith Dwyer as a special education teacher at WES.