Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Jay McIntire's contract has been extended for three years, according to minutes of a January 15 special meeting of the Wiscasset School Committee.

McIntire began working for the school system in July of 2006, replacing former superintendent Jay Readinger.

Three of the five school committee members met at the superintendent's office at 4:10 p.m. on January 15 and voted to go into executive (closed to the public) session for an evaluation of the superintendent. Those committee members were Gene Stover, the chairman; and committee members Lori Hanley and Doug Smith.

Another member, Sarah Whitfield, a student at Colby College, was excused from the meeting, and Tony True, the fifth member, was absent, according to the minutes. True submitted his letter of resignation at last week's school committee meeting, noting that scheduling afternoon meetings during his work hours made it impossible for him to attend.

After a little over an hour, committee member Doug Smith made a motion to extend McIntire's contract to July 1 of 2013, and to increase his "2008-2009 salary by $2,000 and three percent for merit," according to the minutes. The vote was 3 to 0.

Like other school systems around the state, Wiscasset is attempting to consolidate with neighboring towns under a state law. Although the law is in the process of being amended, the law as it now reads says all contracts signed by districts within the new Regional School Unit (RSU) must be honored by the RSU. Wiscasset first tried to join the Bath-Union 47 RSU, but had to re-group when that effort failed. Talks have been progressing with towns in the proposed Sheepscot Valley RSU, but McIntire has expressed doubts recently about whether Wiscasset might be better off going it alone.