Superintendent requested to check public official law

JAY – School Superintendent Robert Wall has been asked to research state law to confirm that school committees must vote by show of hands in public.

“Maine public officials are obliged to vote openly; thus, secret ballots are not to be used by the School Committee,” according to the Jay School Department's policy, but there is no legal reference in the document.

Maine's Freedom of Access Act requires public officials, such as school committee members, to vote in public.

Committee Chairwoman Mary Redmond-Luce said a Thursday night's meeting that she believes there has been voting in the past, before she was on the board, that was done by secret ballot when matters were controversial. She also said she knows of other school districts voting by secret ballots when members don't want their vote known.

Wall said he believed that would be illegal, but he would research the law. The public has a right to know how elected officials vote on public boards, he said.

Redmond-Luce asked that he research state law before the board takes up a first reading of the policy.

In other business, Redmond-Luce and Tammy Dwinal-Shufelt, were re-elected chairwoman and vice chairwoman, respectively.

The board also voted to sell 60 shares of stock the Jay School Department was given years ago related to a dental plan.

“We had a dental plan and it was bought out,” Wall said, and as part of the transition the Jay School Department became owner of 60 shares of stock. School officials did not buy the stock, he said.

The department no longer has the dental plan, Wall said. It recently received a letter specifying that the company would require a minimum of 100 shares, which would mean the system would need to buy 40 more.

Wall recommended the board sell the shares to divest the district of them rather than acquiring more.

“I am very uncomfortable with us owning any stocks,” Redmond-Luce said.

Business Manager Stacie Lowe said when she discovered the stock issue, she made calls to make sure the system legally acquired the stocks. The method in which Jay came by them was legal, she said, because they were not purchased.

Both Lowe and Wall said they brought the issue to the board with similar concerns as Redmond-Luce.

The value of the stocks won't be known until the day they are sold, Lowe said. There is a $3 per share handling fee, she said.

The money from them will be used toward the budget.

In other matters, the School Committee voted to have Chris Bessey fill the position of Jay High School activities coordinator for the 2010-11 school year.

The board also voted to appoint Ryan Soucie of Portland as the high school guidance counselor to fill the vacant position.

Soucie was among 15 candidates who sought the job, Wall said. The interview committee was social worker Karen Haley, guidance secretary Lynn Smith and Principal Gilbert Eaton.