The Eastport School Committee quickly dispatched with Christopher Columbus, tossing him overboard in short order, but wrestled for nearly an hour with Santa Claus, who was stoutly defended by three ladies of the Christian faith, before the right jolly old elf finally won. The debate at the April 27 board meeting was prompted by the innocuous-sounding agenda item to adopt the school calendar for next year. Two versions were submitted -- one referring to Columbus Day and the Christmas break and the other not mentioning Columbus and calling the vacation time at Christmas the winter break.
     Board members Jon Calame and Will Bradbury pointed out the cruelty of Columbus to the Native Americans and noted that other localities in the U.S. have renamed the holiday Indigenous Peoples' Day. The board then voted to call the day the October holiday.
     Christmas, though, was a different kettle of fish. Calame argued that it is a Christian holiday and that public institutions should not favor any one religion. That prompted the discussion with the audience, with Donna Thayer firing back that the students have the time off because it is Christmas. "I have a problem with getting rid of Jesus," she stated.
Calame said if one student doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, then that student can feel excluded or marginalized if the school celebrates Christmas. Thayer responded that if the name is changed to winter break then the school would be "changing everything for one child, and the rest of them can go to hell."
     Eleanor Norton, who taught school for 33 years, said Christmas is a time of giving in which people of other faiths may participate and that if it's not called the Christmas break it would lead to a slippery slope and soon they "won't have Easter eggs."
     Phyllis Siebert said that ending the reference to Christmas would mean that the Silent Santa and other giving programs would have to be eliminated. Bradbury, though, noted that the proposal is just to change the name on the school calendar, while it's being perceived as meaning that the school has to stop celebrating the holiday. "We celebrate lots of holidays in school."
     Board member Elizabeth Hastings-Renner said that children look at the holiday and see Santa and reindeer and they don't associate it with a religion. Bradbury pointed out that fewer than 20% of the people in Washington County identify themselves as religious. "The largest group in Washington County is atheist, but we don't want it to be atheists' break."
     Shead staff member Catherine Lee said she doesn't know anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas but she felt that the secularization of the Christmas holiday is now complete. "Christmas is a secular holiday."
     "This is not the Jesus Christ break," agreed Bradbury, who noted that he has celebrated Christmas every year of his life. He added, "Atheists are people, too."
     Superintendent Ken Johnson noted that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that school officials can neither advance nor inhibit religious doctrines but they can represent local standards. In the Wesley school, where he formerly worked, a parent had objected to the singing of "Joy to the World," but it was felt that the standards of the community were conservative and that the singing could continue. To continue to refer to the Christmas break in the Eastport school system would not be a violation of the law, he felt, since it could be seen as a reflection of local standards.
     Unlike Carroll Gardner -- the mean-spirited storeowner on Back Lane in the 1950s who reportedly shot Santa Claus -- members of the school board, including the atheist-defending Bradbury, voted 4-1, with Calame opposed, to continue calling the vacation the Christmas break. Bradbury then noted that he had never seen as many people at a school board meeting when the budget or a teacher was being cut, but they came out "for one word on the calendar."
EUT busing concerns
      The superintendent told the board about the letter from Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) Director Shelley Lane that outlines changes in transportation for students who live in the county's unorganized territories. He was concerned about the possible loss of 22 students who come to Shead High School on the EUT bus. The changes in EUT transportation would affect a number of towns and schools in the area, particularly the Whiting Village School. While Johnson stated that the students "will find their way to Shead" and he had received verbal assurance that transportation would continue, he asked the board if Eastport would be willing to send a bus to Edmunds to pick up students if the EUT does not provide one. He said the tuition received from two students would cover the cost of gas and a driver for a year.
     Principal Theriault noted that a Dennysville eighth grader who wants to come to Shead was concerned that he would not be able to, since Dennysville students ride on the EUT bus to Edmunds Township. He said it "would be nice if we could assure students at Step-Up day that we'll provide transportation."
     Board member Bradbury suggested that the bus should run to Whiting corner to possibly pick any Lubec students. Board members unanimously approved a motion giving the superintendent their full support to provide a bus if the EUT stops sending a bus to Shead.

Other action
     Johnson reviewed a revised budget proposal for 2016B17 that would seek only $25,828 more in local taxes, which is nearly $12,000 less than the local tax increase proposed in his earlier draft. He was able to reduce the local tax hike by increasing the amount of carryover funds being used to $100,000, eliminating the replacement of windows at the elementary school and reducing the fuel budget by $5,000 at Shead and by $7,000 at the elementary school. Shead tuition income is projected to increase by $63,000 because of the tuition rate increasing from $7,800 to $8,300 per student.
     Board member Calame was concerned about the "anemic" library budget of just over $1,000 for both schools, while budgets for coaches for sports at the two schools would be increasing by $13,600. He wanted some increase in funding for the library, noting, "Our first priority is to teach academics." Johnson and Theriault noted that there are many teams with a high level of participation and that other extra-curricular activities are also included with the funding for coaches. Johnson felt that a final budget was close, with the board expected to give budget approval at its May meeting.
     The board approved a revised policy concerning head lice, with board member Calame having made further revisions to the proposal that had been discussed at the board's March meeting. Principal Theriault noted that the policy outlines a procedure that is the same as what the school currently follows.
     The boiler for the high school gym has "breathed its last breath," noted Johnson, and the city has opted to put the replacement of the boiler out to bid. The school system does have $10,000 for boiler replacement, but the possible cost will not be known until after bids are received on May 11.
     Calame reported that the school could save $1,200 over the next year by taking the competing offer for electricity rates.
     In his report, Principal Theriault told the board that legislation has been enacted to revise the schedule for schools to implement the standards-based graduation requirements. For the four content areas of English language arts, math, social studies and science and technology, the new implementation date is 2020B21, and students will need to demonstrate proficiency in all content areas by 2025.
     Theriault noted that recruiting of eighth grade students is continuing and that students in grades 7 through 9 would be attending a career fair at the University of Maine at Machias that is jointly sponsored by the Washington County Leadership Team and the Jobs for Maine's Graduates program. The National Honor Society sponsored its annual Red Cross blood drive on May 10.