School Board member resigns
By Elizabeth Prata

Gray--Heather Skilling, representative from Gray, has resigned her position as a MSAD 15 School Board member. The July 25 letter sent to fellow Board members cited work and family demands. Ms. Skilling had recently accepted a full-time job at LL Bean, an evening position which would take her away from evening Board meetings. "I do not feel it would be fair to my children to take any more time from them that my job will take. I also do not feel it would be fair to the public to stay on board and not attend any meetings," Ms. Skilling wrote. She said that she had enjoyed her time on the Board and wished her fellow Board members another fruitful year. Ms. Skilling's term would have expired in June 2006.

Since Ms. Skilling was from Gray, the Gray Town Council will select an Interim SAD 15 Director to serve until the next annual municipal election. The Interim Director shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified to fill the unexpired term, according to the Town Charter. The Gray Town Council is involved in selecting and appointing a member to its own Board.

Matthew Sturgis had resigned his Town Council post on June 21, and the Council has set a procedure to appoint a Councilor to the vacancy. The deadline to submit a name to the Council is August 8, the applicant will be asked to complete a questionnaire, and they will be considered at the June 16 at the regular Council meeting, when an appointment to Council will be made. No procedure or timeline has been set as of deadline for the Council to deal with Ms. Skilling's vacancy to the School Board.

School Board to appoint Chemical Hygiene Officer
By Elizabeth Prata

Gray--Superintendent Victoria Burns informed the School Board that as per new state statute LD 1157, that all Districts are to inventory all hazardous chemicals in each school, to develop a hazardous chemical screening process, and have in place a trained Chemical Hygiene Officer. Additionally, the statute requires that the District to develop a Chemical Hygiene Plan. Under LD 1157, these requirements are a combination of rules from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Maine Department of Education (MDOE), and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).

Superintendent Burns said that the chemicals to be inventories are primarily science laboratory chemicals, and of those, it is primarily the chemicals at the High School lab that are of most interest. "The Kindergarten through eighth grade students use 'Fast Science' which uses ordinary chemicals." Since the focus would be on the High School, Ms. Burns is recommending that Vice-Principal Tim Richard absorb these duties into his job description. "We wanted an administrator, we wanted someone at the High School and Tim has a science background."

The Chemical Hygiene Officer will report to the Superintendent, and will be evaluated by the Superintendent. The Board was expected to take action on this appointment on Wednesday, August 3.