LEWISTON — School Superintendent Bill Webster tweeted a challenge Tuesday, offering a free lunch for whoever guessed his mileage walking the halls of all Lewiston schools on the first day of school.

Webster used an application on his phone to measure his mileage. The walks actually took him two days, all day Wednesday and Thursday morning.

He started walking the halls Wednesday at the Lewiston Middle School. An eighth-grade assembly was going on. He spoke a few words. He also “stuck my head in as many rooms as possible wishing teachers and students a good year.”

One of the things he likes about visiting schools, he said, is “I see things I wouldn’t be aware of.” At the middle school he saw a bicycle chained to a tree, another to a fence. The bike rack is gone because of the school construction. A bike rack will soon be at the school, Webster said.

He then visited Martel, Farwell and McMahon elementary schools. At lunch, he was in McMahon’s cafeteria where teachers told him the windows didn’t open. They should open, he said. “It’s another little thing added to my list.”

He went to Montello, Geiger and Longley scools next. At Longley, he and students watched a film of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech from 50 years ago.

Thursday morning, he continued walking halls at Lewiston High School, the Green Ladle and the Lewiston Regional Technical Center. At LRTC, he saw ed tech Dan O’Neill playing the guitar for students as they entered the school.

O’Neill told him he played on the first day for upperclassmen to make school more inviting and welcoming. The music made people relax and smile, Webster said.

The total mileage of Webster’s hall walks was 4.9 miles. Twenty-five people guessed and Jeremy Cluchey of Bates College came the closest at 5.5 miles. He won lunch at the Green Ladle, the culinary arts area at Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

Also awarded a lunch was Montello teacher Kaitlyn Brown, who guessed 2 miles.

“That is what I put in my monthly report last year,” Webster said, referring to his estimate of the total hallway mileage. He said he guessed incorrectly, “but she was paying attention.”

He wished everyone could see the uplifting scenes he saw from walking the halls, he said.

“’The buildings look great, the kids and teachers had smiles on their faces.”