Minutes after Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Kim Andersson on Dec. 12 previewed budget season and talked student recruitment, some residents and teachers aired concerns, among them the impact of Principal Gina Stevens being on leave from Wiscasset Middle High School while she awaits the school committee’s Dec. 20 and, if needed, Dec. 21 dismissal hearing. Both are at 4 p.m. in the Wiscasset Elementary School gym, according to an agenda released Dec. 12.

“It’s been incredibly difficult to get everybody to interrupt and rearrange their personal and professional schedules,” Chair Jason Putnam said in the committee meeting.

Wiscasset School Department is doing zero-based budgeting this year, asking staff to say what they need and not start with their 2023-24 budgets to prepare their 2024-25 requests, Andersson said.

In the school committee meeting at WES and over Zoom, Andersson said staff had gotten their budget forms to fill out and return to building administrators, who would turn them in to the school department’s central office. Then Andersson, the finance team and finance committee will review everything.

She said the school committee will hear the 2024-25 budget draft for the first time Jan. 23 and meet again on it Jan. 25; and she noted the recent interest the town budget committee has expressed.

“So kudos to the town, and kudos to the budget committee, for stepping up and participating in this public, transparent process.” She encouraged the public to come to the budget workshops and give feedback. “We really want to know how we can serve you best with our school resources.”

“We’re also going to pay special attention to our revenue budget this year,” Andersson told the school committee. “I was very happy to see the quarter one tuition billing. We just billed (Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit) $106,000” for the first quarter. “So assuming that the year stays the same, that’s going to be 4% of our expenses budget for this year, and that’s really great news.”

Andersson also announced the department will in January kick off “a big recruitment effort. We would like to recruit students from all of our surrounding towns that have high school choice, and we also want to make Wiscasset Elementary School the first choice for our neighbors in Westport Island and in Alna.”

How can Wiscasset’s high school attract students, residents asked in public comment. For 2023-24, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school 59th in Maine; Morse High School in Bath, 15th, Chris Reed noted.

Fellow resident John MacLaren recalled his time as a Wiscasset student. “I went through ...  during the heyday, and it was great. It was amazing. But since then ... how can we attract kids ... when we have little to nothing to offer them?” It would take better communication with parents, he said. “We need some serious change in this town (and) the town will have their say.”

Two WMHS math teachers asked for help with teachers’ and students’ needs while the school is down an administrator. Rebecca Bessette told the committee she is thankful for the administrators who remain, and she thinks they are trying their hardest to do their duties and fill the gap, but are spread too thin. Bessette said lately she and others have been tired and have felt “alone in our classrooms (on) discipline issues ... If we could get an extra set of hands and eyes to help our current (administrators), who I’m so grateful for, to help meet the needs of their teachers and their students.”

Erika Holbrook seconded Bessette’s comments. And Holbrook said student behaviors “are really starting to become a struggle, (some behaviors) so destructive and hurtful it feels like we don’t have a lane to choose ... We feel really stuck. And it’s a shame.” She just joined the school this year from another district. “And I thought we had this amazing, strong start to this year and (now) we’re lacking a leader.”

Holbrook added, she misses Stevens. “She’s the reason I took this job. I was really excited to have someone who was clearly a powerful leader and added structure. But we’re starting to see that decline and I really see an effect on our students and sort of a lower student morale, and I’m concerned for our kids.”

The committee decided Nov. 13 to hold the hearing after Andersson’s multiple claims involving Stevens’ performance as principal. Stevens has said she did nothing wrong. 

Dec. 12, the committee did not immediately speak to the idea of more help at WMHS. Responding Dec. 14 to a post-meeting request for comment, Andersson wrote: “Since the principal has been on leave, the Assistant Principal, Sarah Hubert, is fulfilling the duties of Principal with support as needed from other members of the Admin. Team. This has enabled me to be in the building a lot and observe the day to day operations first hand. We have the best kids! It is great to be in the school and to get to work with kids – truly a highlight of my day. And we have the best staff, too, who are diligently working hard to meet the needs of students every day.

“I've worked in public schools for many years and can tell you what any experienced educator would probably agree with: the weeks leading up to school vacations tend to be stressful and it is not unusual to see student behaviors ramp up. While the holidays are an exciting time full of laughter and love for many of our families, they can be a stressful and anxiety inducing time for a lot of people, too. The structure, warmth, and nourishment students receive at school make the school their safest place and for some kids, school vacations are not something they look forward to. I have not seen anything out of the ordinary behavior-wise in either of our school buildings, but I did hear the concerns of our teachers on Tuesday night and am working with Sarah Hubert to address them,” Andersson wrote.

The committee accepted Bonnie Morton’s resignation from food service and hired Katie Ruzyckij and Michelle Martin, both for food service. “We regret that Bonnie has decided to resign, but we are glad these other two folks are willing to work here,” Putnam said.