The Regional School Unit 73 board of directors has appointed Daniel Wilson, right, a senior at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, as a student representative to the board, contingent on a student vote. Wilson is senior class president, a three-sport athlete and a member of the Envirothon and robotics teams. He is shown in July with other Envirothon members at an international competition in Ohio. File photo/Livermore Falls Advertiser

JAY — Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors Thursday evening, Dec. 8, unanimously appointed a new student representative to the board and approved a May 2023 humanities trip to New York City.

The appointment of Daniel Wilson as student representative is contingent on a student vote at Spruce Mountain High School. The date of the student vote was not available Monday morning.

Wilson is an honor student, a member of Envirothon (his team scored highest at the Maine competition last May and represented the state at the International Competition held in July in Ohio) and robotics (SMHS students and mentors collaborated with Blue Crew and in March won the Chairman’s Award at the New England Pine Tree District Event in Waterville). He is the Senior Class President and is a member of the school’s soccer, Nordic skiing and track and field teams.

“I wanted to make a bigger difference in school, give students another vote,” Wilson said during a break later in the meeting.

Directors also approved a humanities trip to New York City for juniors and seniors.

“One of the things that happened pre-COVID was an annual trip to New York City that was offered to juniors and seniors,” Jessica Ellingwood Simpson, a math teacher at the high school, said. “We would like to get back to that with your approval.”

The trip would be May 30-31 – after AP exams but before seniors are in graduation mode, she noted. “We would leave very early on a chartered bus, drive to New York City and then do different trips – Ellis Island, the art museum, natural science museum, wherever a particular group was interested in – and then see a Broadway show,” she stated.

A bus company and theater have been approached, tentative plans have been made, Simpson said. Students have been fundraising, selling poinsettias from Longfellow’s, she noted. “The trip cost has gone up significantly, as gas and inflation has,” she stated. “Some students sold enough poinsettias to cover their cost so that is pretty exciting.”

After the show, the bus will drive them back to the school, arrive around 6 or 7 a.m., Simpson added.

Chair Robert Staples asked what the cost of the trip per person would be.

“Around $150,” Simpson replied. “Students who were interested have already made a $20 deposit.” One student is on a wait list and six or seven staff, who also pay their way, are interested in going, she said.

“If a student wants to go but can’t afford it, is there some sort of scholarship available,” Staples asked.

Simpson didn’t know of one, but said it could be looked into. She agreed to let principal TJ Plourde know if there were students wanting to go but couldn’t afford to.

Director Andrew Sylvester asked if there was a particular show being considered.

“We have contacted the Life of Pi, we have not heard a definite definite yet,” Simpson said. “We need two wheelchair accessible seats and they have not accommodated that at this time.”

During administrative reports Pat St. Clair, the elementary school principal said 40 coats had been donated to the school. The clothing closet is being run by teacher Emily Thibodeau and her mom found coats for students who didn’t have coats that fit. “That was awesome,” he noted. “The kids could go in and pick the coats that they wanted, will keep nice and warm this winter.”

The fourth grade class was awarded two $1,500 grants from the Maine Environmental Education Association which will support their outdoor education program, St. Clair said. Funds can buy snowshoes, ski pants, anything needed, he noted. An extension was also granted for the $100,000 RREV grant to build the greenhouse/outdoor classroom space – for which quotes for the groundwork are coming in – so the school has two years to spend grant funds, he stated. A $1,400 check from the Hannaford Helps program will also support the outdoor education program, he added.

In other business, the board voted to allow student X to reenter RSU 73 starting Dec. 12. A closed door session was held before the vote to discuss the expulsion of a student. Directors expelled two students in August and three this fall for disobedient and disorderly conduct.