Wiscasset Middle High School was closer Oct. 13 to getting its next nurse, after Sommer Maybee's arrest on an OUI charge last month and her subsequent resignation.

Two candidates were set to be interviewed for the job, WMHS Principal Chris Hennessey told the school committee. 

In the meeting and in his written leadership update, Hennessey described the challenge from what the update called "our nurse situation."

Hennessey said Wiscasset Elementary School Nurse Nicole Appleton has been spending significant time at WMHS and several WMHS staff received training in first aid basics and in giving medication. He thanked Appleton, Brandon Rogers, Stephanie French, Beth Bluteau, Sandy Aloisio, Mindy Turner, Ashley Major, Xantha Morse, Alyson Graham, Molly Carlson, Tyler Hilchey and Patti Sims for the nurse's office being covered.

On a question from Vice Chair John Merry, Hennessey said, "We've been covering (the office). I'm not going to tell you though that it's been ideal. It's been a challenge ... I'm usually anchored (near) the nurse's office anyway (and) Sandy Aloisio has just been incredibly invaluable, and probably the biggest MVP in stepping up to fill that void." He added, Appleton's presence has been "very professional (and) calming. She's been wonderful."

Said Hennessey, "Yeah, we're getting it done. Not easy, though."

Former WES nurse Alaechia Ellis has been covering at WES as a substitute two days a week so that Appleton can go to WMHS, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson said. 

And in public comment, former school committee member Brycson Grover said "recent events ... with one of the employees ... has yet again brought negative attention, a black cloud over (the) Wiscasset district, which is very unfortunate." When he then recalled concerns raised last year about students spending time in the nurse's office, Chair Tracey Whitney said, "I need you to not discuss a specific staff member."

"I'm saying nurse's office," Grover said. When Whitney let him resume, he instead said "a certain office, that I believe the board all knows what I'm talking about. Concerns were raised about students being in there when they should not have been," and the superintendent failed to handle it, Grover said. And the committee in June did not order an independent investigation of last school year's incident "that involved that certain employee ... Any information is good information. And now fast forward, here we are again, with the same individual."

Post-meeting, Andersson had no comment on Grover's comments. In June, Grover and fellow member at the time Jonathan Barnes had supported the outside probe and Whitney, Doug Merrill and Christopher Hart abstained. In that June meeting, the committee nodded 5-0 Andersson's proposal for a "two schools beneath one roof" committee to examine issues with shared spaces and times when middle and high schoolers are together.

Last May, then-senior D'Antae Dawkins was charged with aggravated assault on a middle schooler during a gym class officials have said Maybee was covering. Sept. 22, a half hour after she left school, Maybee was arrested under the last name of Harding in the Wiscasset Marketplace plaza parking lot on a Class D OUI charge; she made bail, was placed on paid administrative leave and an internal investigation began.

In the Oct. 13 meeting, the committee voted to "receive" Maybee's resignation. The committee typically votes to "accept" a resignation, usually accepting it "with regret." Asked Oct. 14 about the committee's wording the night before, Andersson said: "Receive and accept have the same meaning in this case."

Also Oct. 13, Andersson spoke of the department's continuing effort to work to "get the good word out on all of the amazing things that are happening in our schools every single day." Executive Assistant/Data Specialist Cynthia Young has been “crushing it” on Facebook, Andersson said. Young has been putting out press releases on activities such an alumnus visiting Wiscasset Elementary School to share with students his work as a marine biologist; and a “Crazy Hair Day” students earned by being safe, responsible and respectful.

Andersson said it is believed to take "10 positive articles to counter one negative (one) ... The students and staff are phenomenal, we’re off to a great start this year, and we just want to keep that positive momentum going.”

And she urged committee members to be spreading the word that the town vote on the third, 2026-27 budget offer is Nov. 3. “We can’t tell people how to vote, but we can tell them to vote, and we can tell them that frequently,” she said. 

She recapped that costs are down 1% from 2025-26 and the local ask is down 2.5%. 

“You guys have worked really hard. We’ve had a lot of meetings. And it’s time to start the fiscal year ’28 budget (work), so if you could tell all your friends frequently to make sure they vote Nov. 3, if they haven’t voted already, absentee.”

Whitney reminded residents the committee's recorded budget sessions are all on the school department's YouTube channel. "Please feel free to go back and see this path that we have taken because it has been a long and winding road ... We have been doing some work here and I ask you all to see where we've come (from) and where we are now."

In other business, no teachers have applied yet for projects through "gifted and talented" funding, Andersson said. Hennessey said he and others have been bugging students to eat breakfast and lunch. "It is incredible how few kids want to eat. We're all really trying to push to make sure that they do that." And he said the new, separate student handbooks for the middle and high schools are almost ready. 

The committee nodded hiring James Andretta, high school girls soccer coach; Phil Di Vice, middle school boys soccer coach; Alicia West, volleyball coach; Billy Pinkham, JV basketball coach; Dana Lawrence, girls varsity basketball; Jamey Roy, boys varsity basketball; Nori Lund, high school swim; Jay Bailey, high school baseball; Kelly Johnson, WES educational technician; and, pending documentation, Hann Paulsen and Nathaniel Gapski as educational technicians. 

Whitney said she is delighted to have been hearing "wonderful things about the start of the new school year ... It's nice to know that things are being handled beautifully and I really appreciate that. So thank you," she said in closing oral remarks in her first "Notes from the Chair," a feature the committee has added to its regular meetings.