POLAND – Poland Regional High School officially has a new varsity baseball coach and will soon have a new set of procedures of how extra-curricular money is handled as the result of a recent team trip to Florida that went awry.

After meeting in executive session Wednesday, the Poland Regional High School Committee announced that Scott Fennessy will take over the varsity team. Co-curricular activities director Susan Robbins recommended Fennessy, who had been the school’s junior varsity baseball coach. The committee reviewed Fennessy’s letter of application Wednesday.

“I have always represented our school in a positive manner over my four years of coaching various sports at PRHS,” stated Fennessy’s letter. “I have assisted and coached every player on the varsity team during my tenure at Poland.”

The School Committee also reviewed a letter of resignation from the Charles Green, who had been the varsity team’s coach since its first season in 2000. Green is still working as groundskeeper at the high school.

“Due to some personal issues in my life that need 100 percent of my attention, I can no longer give the baseball program the attention it deserves,” stated Green’s letter. “I apologize for the inconvenience that I have caused.”

Green’s resignation was prompted by failing to show up April 18 for a team trip to Florida. Parents and school officials scrambled to account for money and travel arrangements so that players could go ahead with the trip. Fennessy participated in the trip with the team.

School Union 29 Superintendent Nina Schlikin makes the decision on accepting the resignation, said committee member David Griffiths.

Stepping into the role of junior varsity baseball coach to take Fennessy’s place will be Joe Cormier, who coached the girls’ varsity soccer team, according to the recommendation by Robbins and agreement by the committee.

Much of the public discussion Wednesday centered around the issue of where the money goes and who handles it. Robbins presented a draft protocol that called for all money to be deposited into the student activity account. However, committee Chairman Ike Levine pressed for tighter measures on how money leaves the account.

“Everything in this protocol was essentially followed,” said Levine. “Within 24 hours of the incident, there were a myriad of rumors, which all came down to people wanting to know where was the money.”

The team had raised about $14,000 to take care of airfare, hotel accommodations, and other expenses. However, the final $5,400 payment to the hotel hadn’t arrived by the time the players did.

“The money should’ve come from a central spot and mailed or directly forwarded,” said committee member Jack Conway. “We need a trail that shows that the money arrives where it’s supposed to.”

Checks for the Florida trip had been written to the correct parties and eventually sent to the hotel and van rental company.

Besides addressing the dispersing funds, the School Committee directed Robbins to include provisions for making last-minute changes in arrangements, for providing a timeline of meeting requirements, for dealing with permission slips and medical forms, and for arranging travel with anyone other than parents.

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