RANGELEY —  The School Committee was introduced to the new Rangeley Lakes Regional School website at Tuesday’s meeting.

They also approved the Middle School science field trip for the fall and approved a bid to replace the school building’s windows.

At the beginning of new business, the committee moved to the adjacent technology lab, where Lynn Richards, technology director, set up laptops for each committee member and a projection screen for instruction. Nichols walked board members through their personal login. The public may access the site at www.rangeleyschool.org for information about the school, faculty and staff, calendars, events and policies.

At the beginning of the evening, Chairman Harold Schaetzle welcomed new committee member Sheridan Oldham. Oldham replaces Bill Hayes, who resigned. Schaetzle announced this would be his last meeting as chairman.

Middle school science teacher Lucy Simonds presented a request for funding for the field trip scheduled Sept. 17-18. The trip will involve the 50 to 60 students of grades six, seven and eight. The Ferry Beach Ecology School on Saco Bay is in the midst of beach and dune systems, forest, tide pools and salt marsh. Facilities include on-site housing and meals. Because of a recent grant, Ferry Beach is able to offer the school a price of $55 per person, rather than the usual fee of $189. The committee unanimously approved funding $3,750, including chaperons, for the trip.

Minutes of the committee’s  June 12 meeting were amended to include Rick Godaire’s request to receive earlier written notice of nominees to faculty and staff positions.

Superintendent Brian Foster suggested a nomination form to be used in the future, along with resumes, and hopes to get them to the committee without a time crunch.

Foster also reported speaking with Tim Straub of the Educational Advisory Committee about looking for mechanisms to improve staff-board communication about various issues, reorganizing and planning for next year. Possibilities are tapping a former member as a facilitator or bringing in an outside speaker.

Principal Sherry Connally reported that the second week of Literacy Camp, which has about 14 students, is going well. Connally had just returned from a meeting in Lewiston with a group that works as a collaborative of several organizations, addressing many issues such as dropouts, drugs, and mental health.

The following day Connally was to participate in a discussion of middle level education with the Bright Futures group. Asked by a committee member how these meetings affect the school, Connally said, “They connect Rangeley with resources we haven’t had access to and make connections with organizations we haven’t worked with before.”

Three areas of this year’s budget which had overruns were $18,100 in system administration, $16,640 in transportation, and $25,000 in food service for a total of $59,740. The committee is allowed to transfer unused funds from other areas to cover these overruns.

Every township in the school system approved the projected budget for the 2012-13 school year. Voters added $25,000 for replacement of the school building’s windows.

Foster reported that five firms expressed interest in the window replacement job, and four bids were submitted. The two bids received on time were from A-One Builders and Oakes & Parkhurst Glass. After detailed technical discussion of trim, materials, replacement parts and warranties, the committee voted to accept the A-One bid, with one opposed and one abstention.

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