Three candidates are running to represent Gray in Tuesday's only race for the School Administrative District 15 board of directors.

The 11-member board oversees the schools in Gray and New Gloucester, which have a combined budget of $20 million.

The race features incumbents Will Burrows and Sandra MacDonald and challenger Tina Martell.

MacDonald said the system has made progress in recent years, including instituting all-day kindergarten, renovating buildings and beginning a foreign language program that covers kindergarten through 12th grade.

"The biggest challenge all public schools in Maine have is balancing a decrease in subsidy dollars," she said. "We have to start being creative and honest with ourselves in not only adding programs, but also looking at what programs aren't working or that we can improve."

MacDonald said she plans to advocate for more integration of laptop technology with students and teachers, and for new graduation requirements that reflect what students really need.

Martell said she is running because she believes more could be done to unify the school system shared by two towns.

"We need to re-look at everything and see how we're working together and just give it some nice, fresh eyes," Martell said. "We're all kind of doing our own thing. It would be nice to work together to streamline things."

Martell said her work in mergers and acquisitions for TD Banknorth, where new businesses had to be integrated into the existing company, would help her analyze how the school system can be organized more efficiently and effectively.

She also said that investing in a strong school system would help Gray, because it attracts people and businesses.

Burrows is running for his second term. He said the board and the administration work well together, and that should continue.

"This particular board has a high level of professional integrity and great board-administration relationships," Burrows said.

Burrows said the community budget advisory committee, started several years ago, has ensured a level of transparency in the budget process that has reduced the friction of past years, when the school budget was extremely divisive.

Going forward, he said, the district must continue to focus on student learning and monitoring results, which is promoted by board members asking good questions and striving for continuous improvement.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com