The Lewiston Public Schools School Committee on Aug. 25 unanimously approved three nominations to district special-education leadership at a meeting at the Green Ladle.

Kelly Burgess was approved as assistant principal for special education at Connors Elementary School; James (Jim) Cliff was approved as assistant director of special education for Lewiston Public Schools; and Ryan Patri was approved as assistant principal for special education at Farwell Elementary School. The committee called the meeting to order at about 5:27 p.m. and adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

The appointments came with brief presentations from school leaders and short remarks from the nominees. Debbie Roderick, principal at Connors, described Kelly Burgess as “passionate” and credited her with expertise in supporting teachers and building systems that use data to design individual programs. Roderick said Burgess “brings a lot of expertise in supporting teachers with a variety of strategies” and called her a strong addition to Connors.

Kelly Burgess introduced herself to the committee, saying, “Hi. I’m Kelly Burgess. Thanks for having me.” Committee members then moved to a vote; Member Hurd made the motion to approve the nomination and a second was given. The committee voted unanimously to approve Burgess.

Kirsten Kraft introduced the nomination of James Cliff for the districtwide assistant director role, describing Cliff’s long service in the district. Cliff said he has spent 19 years in Lewiston schools, including roles as assistant principal and principal at Montello and several years in other leadership positions. “I always consider it a privilege and I’m happy to serve the children of Lewiston and their families and our staff,” Cliff told the committee. A motion to approve Cliff’s nomination was made and seconded, and the committee voted unanimously.

Kraft and other presenters described Ryan Patri as a candidate with both regular-education and special-education experience, including time with Teach for America, a stint as assistant principal at Lisbon, and more recent classroom work. The presenters said Patri stepped back into classroom work to strengthen his instructional practice. Member Hurd moved to approve Patri’s nomination; after a second the committee approved the nomination unanimously.

The committee handled the consent agenda without items set aside, adopted it, and heard no public input. The meeting closed with the committee adjourning at about 5:45 p.m.

The approved appointments place experienced school leaders into district special-education roles as the school year begins; presenters emphasized candidates’ experience with data, behavior supports and systems-building but provided few implementation details at the meeting.