Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson urged residents May 12 to nod the loan she said will result in secure vestibules at Wiscasset Elementary and Middle High schools. As reported last winter, the two security projects outranked most other requests from around the state.

Andersson has said the work is desperately needed. 

Voters June 9 will consider borrowing up to $793,311 through Maine’s School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF) at 0% interest and having $277,183 of it forgiven.

On a school committee question in Wiscasset Middle High School's library May 12, Andersson said Wiscasset has 20 months to get the projects done.

In her presentation that explained and sought voter support for the ballot question, Andersson recalled the would-be projects' top-10 rankings after Wiscasset sought SRRF's help; the changes to the buildings are sought to help staff best see those seeking access and best control access. 

"What we need is for everyone to please vote on June 9 to authorize this," Andersson said. 

Also May 12, the committee had a seven-minute executive, or closed-door, session for Chair Tracy Whitney to share a letter from Drummond Woodsum, the school department’s law firm, on a Freedom of Access Act issue. Member Brycson Grover said a recording of a policy committee meeting had comments deleted. He said he didn’t think that was legal. It isn’t, School Committee Vice Chair Jonathan Barnes said. 

“That’s not true,” Andersson said. “It happens all the time. And in fact, it’s my obligation” depending on what is uttered, such as a personnel issue, she said. 

Asked last week about the matter, Andersson told Wiscasset Newspaper, “During a break in a policy committee meeting I made a comment about a personnel issue and was obligated to redact it to protect the confidentiality of the employee whose name was used.”

May  12, the school committee nodded the executive session on the lawyer’s letter 3-2, Barnes and Grover opposed. The two argued the lawyer should be there to field questions. According to the open session discussion after the executive one, the lawyer does not believe a crime occurred. Barnes said his personal lawyer does. Grover wondered what context the school department’s lawyer was provided. 

“This is a lot of brouhaha about a really small thing,” member Christopher Hart said.

“I agree with him. We’re making a mountain out of a mole hill,” member Doug Merrill said.

Plans called for another executive session, this one with the lawyer.

In a separate discussion later in the night's five-hour meeting, Barnes said some more law firms have started representing school departments. He offered to see what's out there. “I’d like to shop around, see what there are for options.” The committee took him up on the offer.

Hart said he can ask a lawyer he knows what she means when she shakes her head over what he said she calls "lawyer shopping."