Scott Buffington, a former director of Maine School Administrative District 17 who stepped down in 2021, is back for a three-year term.

He was one of four write-in candidates vying for two open seats during June 9 elections.

Christie Wessels and Doreen Simmons declined to run for reelection. No new candidates filed nomination papers by the April 10 deadline.

In a last-minute flurry, Robert Warrington, Michael Lance, Buffington and Juanita Morgan stepped up as write-in candidates.

The two top finishers, Warrington and Lance, received 100 and 96 votes, respectively, to Buffington’s 88 and Morgan’s 39.

But within days Lance notified Paris Town Manager Natalie Andrews that he would not be able to accept the position.

In a June 12 email to Andrews, Lance explained that his spouse works for School Administrative District 17, and according to Maine statute people married to school district employees are ineligible to serve on its school board.

Lance is the representative for House District 79 in the Maine Legislature. He won the June 9 Republican primary election in his reelection bid. He is also chairman of Paris’ ad hoc committee, formed this spring to research possible withdrawal from SAD 17.

“As the state representative to Paris, I do not want to violate this law and place the selectboard in such a tenuous position,” Lance said in his email. “The next board meeting will take up the search for a new superintendent. It should be all hands-on deck. I want to thank the good residents of Paris who voted for me.”

Following Paris’ annual town meeting Monday night, the new Select Board voted to confirm Buffington as its newest school board director.

He and Warrington join Chairman Troy Ripley and Jennifer Russell.

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