The new Wiscasset school committee decided June 17 to meet again in 49 hours. With a voter-rejected school budget to rework, new member Douglas Merrill asked to meet again that week as a chance to ask "preliminary questions" so when he and fellow new member Christopher Hart "dig into the budget, we're not blind (and) can stay up to speed" for the July work.

Plans, as newly voted Chair Tracey Whitney read from, called for meeting July 3, 7 and 8, and July 9 "again if needed"; the warrant is planned to go to Town Manager Dennis Simmons July 10; selectmen would take up the warrant's approval July 15; the town clerk would post the warrant the next day; and the special town meeting would be Wednesday, July 23.

Members agreed to add the 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19 school committee meeting. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson asked if its being a holiday (Juneteenth) impacted anyone; no one objected to the date. The agenda Andersson released later June 17 said the June 19 one will be in the Wiscasset Middle High School library and live-streamed on the school department's YouTube channel.

Merrill thanked voters and said he was looking forward to working with his fellow members to create a "cutting edge school system, and hopefully one that will be the crown jewel of the Midcoast area."

Hart, also invited to make remarks, raised his right hand and, nodding along to participants' laughter, pledged to do his duties. Then Andersson ascertained Hart had not gone to the town office to be sworn in; so he couldn't vote that night. No one objected to his still sitting with the committee.

"I meant to add, 'Oops,'" Hart said.

Jonathan Barnes nominated Whitney for chair and she got it 4-0. Then for vice chair, Merrill nominated Jonathan Barnes and Victoria Hugo-Vidal nominated herself. Whitney seconded both nominations. At one point in the discussion, Whitney asked Hugo-Vidal, "You are expecting. Are you concerned that that would play into — It's not supposed to, I know, but if you would just —"

"No, no, I totally get that," Hugo-Vidal responded. "I think it would play into it if I were to take on the responsibility of chair, for example, but from what I've observed, vice chair is more of a lieutenant type role, it's secondary, and at this point, barring any major medical complications, which knock on wood I'm not expecting ...," she said.

"Not that this should bar you from (vice chair), at all. That's not what I'm saying," Whitney clarified. "I'm just asking about, bigger umbrella kinda —"

Hugo-Vidal said if worst came to worst she could take part in a meeting via Zoom.

Whitney went on to ask Barnes, "Same question for you. You have a family, and you're very busy."

Barnes explained he has a pretty set schedule and he and the rest of the committee can discuss meeting dates.

Before the vote, Barnes told Hugo-Vidal regardless of how the vote would go she had their full support. Whitney nodded.

Barnes got vice chair with his, Merrill's and Whitney's votes; Hugo-Vidal voted for herself.

Neither Jason Putnam, the last chair, nor Jodi Hardwick, vice chair, ran for reelection to the committee June 10.

Andersson noted the June 17 meeting's timing was "bending" the longtime policy of holding a new school committee's organizational meeting in July. She wanted to meet this month due to the tight timeframe to revise the budget offer, she said. She added, she'd contacted each member and none objected.