By Ellie Fellers,Special to the Sun Journal

NEW GLOUCESTER – SAD 15 directors Wednesday directed the board’s chairman to begin talks with Gray Public Library trustees on having the library take over the Pennell Trust and Pennell Institute in Gray to give it more space.

The school district no longer needs the 1870s building that currently houses the Gray Historical Society.

The educational trust was established by Gray resident Henry Pennell in the late 1800s with money that was to be used for educational purposes for Gray students. When SAD 15 was formed in 1962, the trust was turned over the the school district.

The one-acre property was a gift from Pennell in 1876 to the town of Gray to establish an educational institution, later known as Pennell Institute. After the formation of SAD 15, which includes Gray and New Gloucester, a court ordered that the property be conveyed to SAD 15.

Several years ago, the school district determined it would no longer maintain the property for educational purposes and sought court approval to sell it and use the proceeds for educational purposes.

Now that the building is vacant, Gray municipal officials say the school should be returned to them at no cost, but Maine’s attorney general, who oversees educational trusts, said the school district may sell the building at fair market value or trade land of equal value for the building, with the proceeds put into the educational trust.

Chairman Alan Rich said his recent conversation with the school department’s attorney supports the idea that the Pennell Institute be used as a library to benefit Gray residents and students. In addition, it would link the library to the Gray Historical Society’s archives. And, the library would be located in downtown Gray.

The library trustees are working to establish nonprofit status, Rich said.

In other business, the board began preliminary discussions on possible new programs for the 2005-06 school year that are not in the draft budget but may be added if funding is received. Included are:

• A high school assistant principal position at $82,290.

• Literacy teacher at the high school at $53,121.

• A high school/middle school substance-abuse counselor at $53,121.

• A middle school alternative education teacher at $53,121.

• A middle school and grade one foreign language teacher at $53,121.

• More nurse assistant time at $3,540.

• More secretarial time for the director of teaching and learning at $14,430.

• All-day kindergarten at $118,928 for all students, or $4,186 for 30 of 70 kindergarten students.

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