Poll considered on school names
When voters hit the polls in Wiscasset on June 9, the future of the town’s ambulance and police services may not be the only non-binding decisions they will face. Residents could be asked outside the polls what they want to call the town’s two remaining schools.
The Wiscasset School Committee on April 23 raised the prospect of having residents weigh in on a name for Wiscasset High School, which is changing from serving grades nine through 12 to seven through 12; and possibly also a name for Wiscasset Middle School, set to serve grades five and six and all the grades from Wiscasset Primary School.
The committee briefly discussed trying to get a straw question or questions on the town’s warrant, but with the warrant nearly set at the time, they talked about setting up a table instead, where residents could stop to vote on the names. It could be a setup similar to those for gathering signatures on petitions at the polls, committee members said.
Wiscasset Elementary School has emerged as the top name choice among students who will be attending Wiscasset Middle School, School Committee Chairman Steve Smith said. Wiscasset Amazing School also fared well, but not as well as Wiscasset Elementary for a name, he said.
Older students have expressed support for bringing back the high school’s former name, Wiscasset Academy, Smith said. Committee member Eugene Stover suggested calling the school department the Sheepscot Shores School District.
Responding to a question from committee member Chelsea Haggett, Smith said the results on voting day regarding school names would not be binding. The committee would need to vote on any renamings, he said.
The panel had previously discussed having multiple locations in town where people could make their picks. Committee members on April 23 said asking voters at the polls might get a larger response.
“That would be your most captive audience,” member Michael Dunn said.
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