MSAD #15 Board finishes a quick summer meeting
Interim Assistant to Principal chosen
By Elizabeth Prata Salvetti

Gray-New Gloucester--The MSAD #15 Board of Directors, absent Anne Gass, met on August 7 to approve an interim Assistant to the Principal at the High School, authorize several leaves of absence, and to discuss the class of 2003 Graduation Date.

The board approved teacher appointments for Amanda Giblin to Grade 6 Memorial School, Tammy Gamble to Grade 5 Memorial School, Stephanie Enaire to Grade 5 Dunn School, Susan Belknap to Special Ed at the High School. Michael Andreason was formerly a Social Studies teacher at the High School, was approved as the Assistant to the high School Principal for one year. Stave Bartacious, a High School teacher, was granted a one-year leave of absence, as was Lynn Ruggieri, a Kindergarten teacher at the Memorial School.

The Board approved a line of credit for the District, a yearly request that the Superintendent recommends in case of emergency, such as unanticipated reductions from the State funding, or for when there may be three payrolls in one month. Last year, the line of credit was $500,000, but was not used. The Board approved the same amount for this year.

Superintendent Michael Wood reported that there will be new playground equipment for Russell School, ready for September. Because of renovations to a South Portland School, a fairly new playground equipment structure was sent to the recycling center. Attentive to the issue, Russell School Principal Ellen Beale requested that the equipment be sent to Russell School instead, after having the contractor who installed it check to ensure its safety and viability. The contractor donated the time to check the equipment and will also install it at Russell School.

The Class of 2003 Graduation date will be Friday, June 13, 2003, at Merrill Auditorium. This allows the required 170 days for seniors and a cushion for snow days. The Friday date, as opposed to last year's Monday Graduation date, also allows for families to spend the weekend after the ceremonies, Wood said.