Data from this year’s Maine Educational Assessments will be released in the January Wiscasset School Committee meeting. Superintendent Terry Wood said she received an email from Maine Department of Education about individual student reports. Based on the data, Wood said, the elementary school will return to a prior math curriculum. Everyday Math, which now also has a pre-kindergarten component, will be used immediately after the holidays. Most teachers at the elementary school have experience with the system.

On Dec. 18,  early release time will focus on data from the MEAs, Wood said.

The committee announced Cynthia Carter, who began her career in the Wiscasset schools’ libraries in 1979, will retire Dec. 20. She might still help out as a substitute until a new librarian or librarians are hired.

Wood said that as budget deliberations begin, she sees no reason to reduce school staff or make other serious cuts. She said most of the major reductions were made in last year’s budget.

Wiscasset Middle High School Principal Charles Lomonte showed a video the school made for the Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 93 Secondary Schools Fair he attended. The video emphasized a family-like atmosphere and small size of the student body. Wood said a video would also be made for the elementary school.

As of Jan. 1, pay for substitutes for food service, secretarial services and band bus drivers will rise $1 to a new hourly rate of $12 due to an increase in the minimum wage. Other substitutes, being paid $12.14 an hour, will get no immediate increase, but negotiations are underway regarding pay for those earning less than the regional typical wage.

Chewonki Foundation gave a $10,000 grant for elementary after school programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Wood hopes to provide STEM programming every Tuesday with the funds.

The committee gave Lomonte permission to put up for bid high-end working tools not appropriate for middle school. The Bath vocational school was interested in a few. The tools are in a space that will be used for middle school technology classes.

The meeting concluded with executive sessions, two related to expulsions, and one to discuss the superintendent’s evaluation. Results were not immediately available.