Kenny Mayne has stepped up to be the new Greenville representative for the Mascenic School Board, after the resignation of former member Steve Spratt.
Mayne is a relative newcomer to the area, he said, moving to Greenville from Ipswich, Massachusetts in 2019. Mayne works as an implementation consultant for Tyler Technologies, a company which provides software for state, local and federal governments and school districts.
Mayne said Spratt approached him and asked if he would be willing to apply for the position to fill out the remainder of his term, which finishes in March of 2022.
Usually, on School Boards with multiple districts, other members of the board from the individual town with an empty seat will confirm a member. However, on the Mascenic School Board, there is only one other member dedicated to the representation of Greenville, and by law, the duty was passed to the Greenville Select Board. Mayne was the only applicant for the position, according to Town Administrator Tara Sousa.
Mayne said he often works with school districts teaching the use of software, and that some of Tyler Technologies’ software is used by Mascenic Regional School District. He also has previous experience working as a payroll administrator in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District in Wenham, Massachusetts.
Mayne said his experience with the business administration side of school districts will be an asset as he works with the district.
“I know what I’m looking at with the reports, I have a solid knowledge of budgeting and how the office uses the software for budgeting purposes,” Mayne said. “When it comes around to approaching winter, I’ll be able to provide some good feedback on the financial direction of the district, give some advice on how to resolve budgetary questions, and I will know what questions to ask the business office, because I’m familiar with what they have at their disposal. I can certainly contribute in some way.”
Mayne said he has not decided whether he’ll run for the position again once the remainder of Spratt’s term is up. He said he’s going to take the remaining months of Spratt’s term to get to know the district and its members.
“We’ll see what comes about over the next few months,” Mayne said. “I’m just getting my feet under me.”
When it comes to one of the biggest issues that faced the district this year, the handling of COVID-19, Mayne said he does not yet have any sense of what kind of educational model he would support for the coming 2021-22 school year.
“I’m very much interested, and I believe in the science of the issue,” Mayne said. “It’s absolutely real, and needs to be taken seriously. Health and safety are number one in my mind. I’ll need to weigh the various facts and details at the time before making a decision as one particular member of the board, and apply the best of my reasoning.”
Other than that, Mayne said, this will be a learning year for him, and he does not have a particular platform he’s touting.
“I’m not a hot-button person. I’m just there to make sure things run well, that teacher contracts are worked out and honored, and negotiations are done a smoothly as possible, that the lights stay on and the bills are paid,” Mayne said. “I want to provide a service to my community, that’s what it comes down to. It’s a good way to get to know the community, especially when we’ve all be in our homes in lockdown for the past year.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.