Panelist resigns to teach art

ORRINGTON – Nancy Snyder, who has been an Orrington school committee member since 1995, resigned Monday in order to be hired to teach art at Center Drive School.

“She had to resign,” Superintendent Allan Snell said Tuesday.

School policies do not allow school board members to be school employees, Snell explained.

The town now has the job of filling Snyder’s term, which expires in July 2008.

Snyder’s resignation is on the selectmen’s agenda for Monday. Once town leaders accept the resignation, nomination packets for those interested in serving will be made available, according to the town clerk. The vacant post will be filled during November elections.

A new admission policy for Brewer High School, which Brewer school officials placed on their books at their meeting Monday, was another hot topic at the meeting, Snell said.

Brewer’s new admission policy takes effect Sept. 1 and requires all students who live outside of the city, and who are not currently enrolled, to apply for admission to the high school. The policy allows Brewer to screen nonresident tuition students based on behavior, grades and attendance.

“I did hand out copies of that policy along with the application that John Bapst [Memorial High School] used,” he said. “There was a discussion about it from the committee members asking questions about the rationality for the policies.”

Orrington, which provides school choice to residents, sends a majority of its high school tuition students – 160 or so during the 2005-06 school year – to Brewer High School.

The gist of the board’s discussion was that Orrington residents “certainly value choice in picking a high school,” Snell said.

Most, if not all, of Orrington’s high school-age students have already enrolled for school this fall, and will not be affected by Brewer’s new policy. Nonresident students whose families move to the area after Sept. 1 and next year’s freshman class will have to apply for admission.

During Orrington’s meeting, the board also:

. Elected Kyle Casburn as chairman, and Rick Jordan as vice chairman.

. Accepted with regret the resignations of Leah Olson, art teacher, and Mary Billings, special education secretary.

. Hired Beth Weston, resource room teacher; Glenys Gray, secretary; Fred Lower Jr., girls A basketball coach; Robert O’Donnell, boys soccer; Rick Cortis, cross country; Benny Veenhof, girls soccer; and transferred Debra Colson from special education to teach grade three.