POLAND — Some residents of Regional School Unit 16 said Monday they’re not satisfied with a report that there is no basis for complaints against Superintendent Tina Meserve’s performance.
According to a previous statement from the board, an outside consultant hired to investigate complaints about Meserve found no evidence that she’s acted unprofessionally.
The initial complaints included poor staff morale, student bullying not being addressed, and that she cut teachers and programs while earning a salary of $100,000 a year.
Ann Chapman, the consultant, said she found no basis for the complaints.
At Monday’s school board meeting, parent and business owner Justin Starbird said the public is requesting the results of the investigation a Freedom of Information Act request. He said they were told no written report exists.
School board Chairwoman Mary Martin said there was no written report because they did not request her to do one.
“We are satisfied that she performed a thorough and objective review,” Martin added.
“You’re happy with the results that no one else has seen,” Starbird said.
Community member Erica Douglass said she felt uneasy that Chapman was hired because she works for the board’s law firm. She also didn’t think Chapman spoke to enough people or the right people to get an accurate review of Meserve’s performance.
Caitlin Rawson said she was concerned about her child being bullied. She said it was serious and the school wasn’t doing enough in response.
Community member Karen Nicholson said she “had the honor of talking — no, listening — to Ann Chapman for 42 minutes. She said this is fixable. She said maybe I can help solve the problem She just kept saying the word fixable. She didn’t see that we were having a problem.”
Nicholson said she’s heard from several teachers that they’re too scared to say anything to the school board or to Meserve about their concerns.
“I just wish each one of you sitting here would say for a minute ‘we have a problem’ and address the problem. There’s a lot of unhappy people in these three towns. But instead, you’re defending the other side.”
History teacher Laurie Sevigny, who has worked in the school district for 30 years, said this is one of the most contentious events she’s seen.
“I have no fault with anyone being concerned for their kids,” she said, but she didn’t agree with how it was being addressed. “This feels like quite a witch hunt to me.”
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