WEST PARIS — Dr. Monica Henson, Superintendent of Schools for MSAD 17, was present at the Thursday, West Paris Board of Selectman meeting. She discussed the financial state of the school. The district can receive federal funds. It lacks cash flow to send and submit. They are taking corrective action now to reimburse all transactions up to date. They are making a transaction one month at a time. They are drawing down what is needed and then repaying it. They borrowed two million.

On that same note, different section, Dr. Henson agrees community schools should stay, and continue to thrive. She shares in the feeling of their importance. She was the principle of the last K-12 school in North Carolina previously where eight community school houses were linked.

Brenda Gould came before the board to ask to spend the ARPA grant money of $2,500 while she waits for her grant money to come in. She wants to use the money to purchase backpacks the library is putting together. They are topic backpacks and come with not only books on a topic, but equipment and fun activities kids can do which are related. They have 8-10 backpack ideas. She will give the money back to the selectman once the grant money comes in. Her request was approved.