| Caitlyn Davison |
The MSAD 15 School Board Meeting on October 1, 2025, at Dunn Elementary School focused on one hot topic: petitions submitted to the Town of Gray requesting a shift from the current state valuation model, where costs are based on each town’s property values, to a per-pupil model based on student enrollment. Currently, with its greater state property valuation, Gray carries about 66% of the local tax contribution for the district and New Gloucester 34%. The towns’ recent student enrollments are roughly 57% from Gray and 43% from New Gloucester.
Typically, a cost-sharing discussion is triggered under state statute when 10% of district voters from the last gubernatorial election submit a petition. The signatures are then verified by the town clerk(s) and, if sufficient, a committee is formed with representatives from each town and the board, together with a facilitator to assist discussions.
However, here a first petition, submitted by Gray resident Susan Fuller, who helped lead local efforts to vote down the school budget, lacked the required number of signatures. A second submission had additional signatures but no petition or cover letter indicating its purpose. The irregularities resulted in uncertainty for the board about next steps, a topic they took up as New Business.
Public Comment. The meeting began with two members of the public speaking in support of the petitions. Charity Klinger, a Gray resident who is a member of the Gray Town Council, requested that petition signatures be combined, considered valid, and move forward. Allen Sarvinas, who introduced himself as a Topsham resident and is state affiliate leader from Parents’ Rights in Education, a national nonprofit group that describes its mission as supporting parents’ authority in their children’s education, said he had helped the Gray group organize. Speaking to the board, Sarvinas said it would be “awesome if you took those signatures, accepted them, passed it on to the town, and had a conversation about fair cost sharing for fair taxes.”
Recognition. Before the board took up the issue of the petitions, a few recognitions were in order.
Richard Riley-Benoit, Principal at GNG Middle School, recognized students Olivia and Amelia Flanigan for their volunteer work with the Special Olympics in Orono. He noted that the school received a letter from the State of Maine Special Olympics expressing thanks for the students’ involvement. When asked by Board Member Gary Harriman if they had the opportunity to be finish line huggers, Olivia, now a freshman, responded, “No, but there were a lot of us timing them. And then we were also at the end to make sure they kept pushing and to cheer them on to make sure that they would succeed to the end of the line.”
It was also noted that GNG High School is now a Unified Champion School, a distinction earned by demonstrating a commitment to social inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities.
Stephanie Haskins, Director of Adult Education, shared that 33 students participated in the Maine College and Career Access Program. The program provides comprehensive advising and academic support to prepare students for success in post-secondary education or training with a goal to prepare adults for high quality employment and/or a credential of value. Stephanie gave examples of two students in the program who have changed their career trajectories: Charity, once a 19-year-old dropout, is now a full-time college student working overnight shifts and pursuing behavioral health training, while Emily, who struggled in traditional high school, earned her high school equivalency, made the Dean’s List at Central Maine Community College, and is on track to earn her associate’s degree.
Old Business – Approval of Job Descriptions. The board approved job descriptions for the E-sports Advisor as well as Transportation Supervisor, positions that were reviewed in previous meetings but lacked the paper trail to show board approval.
New Business – Cost-Sharing Petitions. Starting with reference to her memo provided to the board, and the cover letter received with one petition, Chair Penny Collins opened up discussion. She noted that the signatures have been verified by the Gray town clerk but, because two batches of signatures were submitted at different times and were checked separately, the board does not know if there are duplicates or the total required number of unique signatures has been met.
As a result, the board consulted with Drummond Woodsum and was advised on two options moving forward. One option is to say there weren’t enough signatures, and the second option is to allow more time for petitioners to submit the required number of signatures. There was quite a bit of discussion about how to handle the situation, with many board members expressing a desire to follow proper petition procedures to maintain fairness and transparency. Several members expressed respect for the effort and intent behind the petitions, acknowledging that hundreds of residents clearly want discussion about the current cost-sharing method.
Others raised concerns about setting a precedent for accepting incomplete or improperly submitted petitions, particularly for an issue that could affect both towns’ tax burdens. Member Gary Harriman expressed concern about merging the two petition submissions, given that the second set of signatures did not come with a cover letter or an explanation and were vetted separately from those with the first petition. Chair Penny Collins noted that, while the petitions fell short legally, they represented a significant community message that deserved acknowledgment.
The board ultimately voted on a motion from Sam Pfeifle that allows the petitioners to take the petitions back, identify an impartial third party to cross-check the signatures for duplicates and cover any related costs, and resubmit them to the board for consideration at their next meeting. The motion was approved by the board with eight in favor and two opposed.
Committee Reports. School Board Committees shared updates from their first meetings of the year, which all included review of the roles and responsibilities of the respective committees, nominating/confirming committee chairs, and reviewing calendars of work.
The Facilities Committee, chaired by Adam Copp, reviewed bids for a new bus lift. They are monitoring projects, particularly the HVAC updates, which are 85% done at Memorial Elementary, with the High School and Middle School to follow. The committee is considering a name change to Operations so they can include other efforts in their purview like the nutrition program. See the Facilities Committee meeting agenda for details on projects in progress, projects complete, and work order details.
Sam Pfeifle provided an update on the Finance Committee, noting that they approved funding for the bus lift. More details in the Finance Committee meeting agenda.
The Personnel Committee, chaired by Lauren Meek, posted an unbudgeted bus driver position to address unexpected staffing challenges. See the Personnel Committee meeting agenda for more information.
Gary Harriman shared updates from the Curriculum Committee. Details in the Curriculum Committee meeting agenda.
Sharon Morey noted that the Policy Committee discussed procedural considerations, such as its approach to policy review going forward. More in the Policy Committee meeting agenda.
School Board Chair Report. Chair Penny Collins encouraged fellow board members to register for the Maine School Management Association Conference, held October 23 and 24, 2025 in Augusta.
New hires and resignations can be found in the meeting agenda.
— Watch the full October 1, 2025 board meeting with the livestream recording.
