Public comment — it isn’t just for meetings anymore.

It’s for workshops, too, Wiscasset’s school committee and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson said Sept. 15. 

They were planning an update to the public comment policy due to a change in law. Any time the committee has a quorum, there will be public comment near the start and end of the session, be it a workshop or meeting, according to the discussion.

Chair Tracey Whitney said the policy committee, composed of her and member Christopher Hart, will draft the update.

The school committee discussed keeping public comment to a total of up to 30 minutes, split between slots near the agenda's start and end; keeping each person’s comment to at most three minutes; and not letting people give their time to another speaker.

Besides public comment, the workshop eyed adding a report from the chair, similar to the administrators’ updates; and no longer having administrators go over their reports in the meeting. Participants said the reports go online and don't need to also be heard. Administrators will still come to the meetings, in case of questions.

Also Sept. 16, Wiscasset Middle High School Principal Christopher Hennessey said the cell phone ban violations are still few — two that week — the pass system is going well; and administrators' time in hallways is not some high security move, it's about accountability, and about connecting with colleagues and the students. 

On other fronts, he said a health curriculum will be incorporated into middle school physical education; Hearty Roots' involvement at WMHS will be "almost exclusively" with the middle school; and, on a question from committee member Doug Merrill, Hennessey shared that middle school sports are "thriving," "a ton" of middle schoolers are involved in the fall theater production, and an after school "Dungeons and Dragons" club has started for middle schoolers.

"So there's definitely (extracurricular) options for them," Hennessey said.

"It gives them a sense of belonging ...," Merrill said. "Though they want to be part of the high school, this gives them a chance to be kind of the big dog in the little yard."

"Shine in their own right," Chair Tracey Whitney concurred.