Seventy percent of Wiscasset Middle High School’s Class of 2026 is going to college, WMHS teacher Shanon Cotta told the school committee July 9.

Then he said he wanted to say that again. And he did. Across 10 minutes in public comment, Cotta shared several “amazing” things, from academics to sports, about the school he said is a “tremendous honor” to teach at.

Cotta teaches principles of democracy and advanced placement (AP) U.S. history. He told school committee members and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson, he appreciates “every single thing you all do … the hard work, the level of detail and focus …” And he said he wanted to give a teacher’s perspective and an “update (on) all the amazing things going on with our staff and some of our students that you may not hear about … just with everything else going on.”

Cotta said Wiscasset offers advanced placement (AP) classes in literature, language, computer science, studio art, biology and U.S. history that can together result in up to 18 college credits. “That is over a semester of college that the University of Maine System will accept and (is accepted) throughout the United States. Imagine that: 18 college credits attending Wiscasset Middle High School," he said. 

“Number two, amazing thing happening, Miss Stephanie French, our guidance counselor, has implemented this wonderful program (through which) our Wiscasset students in addition to our AP classes can take college classes at the University of Maine, in Wiscasset … One of our students, a sophomore … took statistics and received an A minus. OK? A sophomore, not a senior. They're already building up their transcripts. A tremendous success in Wiscasset, in terms of academic achievement. Me personally, I teach AP United States history (which) is very, very demanding” for students, he said. "These students passed (which) means they receive college credit at the University of Maine level and (which) can transfer … We had several students receive college credit from just AP United States history."

In recent years, WMHS graduates have gone on to "mini Ivy League" schools including Bates, Carlton and Wellesley colleges, Cotta said. 

“Let's move on to our athletic (programs). We are a small school, but amazing things are happening with (Athletic Director) Brandon Rogers. For example, coach Jamey Roy. The Wiscasset basketball team is a top five basketball program in class D South. (And) we have Mr. Jake McCarthy … our beloved English teacher who also teaches AP literature and he coaches Wiscasset-Boothbay track." The girls were this year's Class C state champions in the 4x100, the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper reported. 

“State champions. Never really gets talked about too much. Tremendous job. And also the coalescing of Boothbay and Wiscasset together."

Cotta praised soccer coach James Andretta for an "incredible job" rebuilding that program. The boys made the playoffs and the girls have now been "elevated up to actually compete in the Mountain Valley Conference … a very demanding conference. What does that mean? It means you're competing against class B, class C, and class D schools. Very competitive program, right? So, our girls are competing in top flight talent right now … “

Cotta also noted Wiscasset Elementary School fourth grade teacher Becky Hallowell was last year's Maine teacher of the year. And in the incoming senior class at WMHS, Cotta said he knows of two students seeking commissions, "one in the United States Navy, the other in Merchant Marines or Coast Guard ... Another person, who has a passion for aviation, will be joining the Maine Army National Guard and become a crew chief," he said. 

"I just ... want to refocus (toward) all the amazing accomplishments and things that we're doing ...," Cotta explained about his remarks. 

Member Jonathan Barnes said that was some of the most positive information he had heard in his two years on the committee. He suggested a similar report monthly or quarterly from employees outside administration. Fellow members liked the idea, for both WMHS and WES.

In the night's other public comment, resident Chet Grover said the hire of WMHS’ new principal Chris Hennessey “may be a wonderful thing” and Grover described himself as very optimistic about that, but he asked about any hiring policy and called for the school committee to be involved in such hires.

It is, according to Andersson's email response to Wiscasset Newspaper’s request for information about that and something else Grover questioned, how Hennessey's salary was negotiated.

Andersson explained, "For Mr. Hennessey, the interview committee consisted of two School Committee members, four WMHS staff members, two current WMHS parents, and four Wiscasset School Department administrators."

Andersson said the school department's policy (GCFB) and procedures (GCFB-R) for hiring administrative staff were last updated by the school committee in May 2025.

As for negotiating administrators' contract terms, Andersson said, "This duty falls under the overarching role of the Superintendent," in the superintendent job description, to "utilize the adopted policies of the district and state and federal laws to oversee and administer the use of all facilities, property, and funds in the best interests of students and the school system,' and (this) is specifically stated in the School Committee Adopted procedure, GCFB-R. The School Committee only participates in the recruitment and hiring of one employee: the Superintendent. The School Committee's sole role in the hiring of any other administrator or staff member, besides the Superintendent, is to approve the Superintendent's nomination" of that person.

She added, "I personally like to include school committee members on interview committees for administrative positions," as she did in Hennessey's hire.

Whitney, Christopher Hart and Doug Merrill voted for Whitney; Merry and Barnes, for Barnes. Barnes then nominated Merry for vice chair and Merry won unopposed.

The committee nodded hiring Corey Rines as a WMHS custodian and accepted with regret the resignations of WES educational technicians Lise Potter and Nancy Wyman, WES special education teacher Dawn Byington, WMHS physical education teacher Matt Petrie and WMHS special education teacher Christina Morley.