Participants
Everyone heard or named as taking part on the recording. There are no minutes to check spellings against; names follow the project's 2015-2023 roster and attribution report, with the transcribed form kept where it differs. Students named in reports are not reproduced.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Frank Sprague | Chair | Calls the meeting to order (0:00:11) and runs every item. Seconds the minutes motion (0:02:07). Calls Petrin's bag-lunch idea "the nuclear option" (1:23:12) and asks whether it is legal (1:32:21); proposes inviting the food service provider to the next meeting (1:31:42). Says the New Hampshire School Boards Association will help with a code of conduct (1:44:29). |
| Rebecca Zullo | Vice chair; superintendent search committee | Gives the superintendent search update (0:14:17); attributed from her role, since the voice is diarized with the acting superintendent's (attribution report). Asks which inmates would attend the summer course (0:27:25), suggests survey questions on staff support (0:21:56), and reports her children's view of school lunch (1:20:47). |
| Jason Benware | Board member | Moves acceptance of the agenda (0:01:26), the minutes (0:01:51, 0:03:10), the donations (0:13:48), the corrections program (0:30:02), the policies (1:01:57) and adjournment (1:48:41). Confirms "There are no students in the building" during the inmate course (0:28:36); cites an Eagle Times report on Newport's lunch debt (1:16:35). |
| Carolyn Towle | Board member; the board's delegate to the New Hampshire School Boards Association | Corrects the February 9 retreat minutes on her delegate appointment (0:02:11). Asks the cost of the annual report (1:08:53); proposes raising school lunch costs with the School Boards Association (1:19:05); asks the student representative's view (1:27:27) and for a cost spreadsheet on the bag-lunch option (1:33:11); praises candidate Heather Whitney (1:47:07). |
| Michelle Pierce | Board member (last meeting before leaving the board) | Supports the corrections program (0:28:13); asks about the culinary camp's length and fees (0:33:58, 0:34:34) and the preschool sensory room (0:55:23); recalls the food service subcommittee (1:17:33); seconds adjournment (1:48:44). "I would just like to say thank you for my three years on the board" (1:45:15). |
| Michael Petrin | Board member | Seconds the agenda and minutes (the chair says By Mike and "Mike again", 0:01:28, 0:03:13). Suggests summer programs for older middle schoolers (0:32:11). Proposes replacing the contract with a bag lunch for all purchasing students (1:22:24). Will chair the SAU 6 board the next night: "Yeah, apparently." (1:42:14). |
| Rob Lovett Jr. | Board member | Asks about security for the inmate course (0:29:05); the chair records his second ("It was Rob", 0:30:11). Asks the board to update its code of conduct after events on the City Council, "specifically in regards to social media" (1:42:28, 1:42:50). |
| Jesse | Student representative, Stevens High School senior (surname not given) | Gives the student report (0:03:20); on school lunch, "it's a definite improvement over the quality of the food" since the Abbey Group contract began (1:28:33). |
| Cory LeClair | Assistant Superintendent; acting superintendent (roster) | Superintendent's report (0:07:55); presents the donations (0:12:20), the school climate survey (0:16:37), the policies (1:01:25), the annual report (1:05:08) and the food service contract, relaying the Department of Education's test for a material change (1:13:41, 1:24:24). Proposes a new board member orientation (1:39:01). Named as one of the two superintendent finalists, "Cory and Mike" (0:14:47). |
| Dr. Alex Herzog | Director, Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center (former board member) | Presents the inmate carpentry course (0:25:29) and a one-week culinary and construction camp for middle schoolers (0:30:29). |
| Sullivan County superintendent of corrections | Guest | Introduced as "Barry. He's our superintendent of corrections for Sullivan County." (0:25:18) and called Dave (0:25:29); spelling of the surname unverified. No dialogue row is attributed to him. |
| Dr. Diane Edwards | Early childhood (preschool) program director | Presents the preschool program's results (0:38:49); enrollment "Cap out at total enrollment 72. And half of that is for kids on IEPs." (1:00:21). |
| Michael O'Neill | Business Administrator (not named on this recording; attribution medium) | On the food service contract: a la carte is about 2.6% of "$655,000 in sales" (1:29:33); "it's a five year agreement, but it's five individual years" (1:31:21); only five state-qualified vendors (1:30:00). |
| Unidentified | Short interjections | 33 of 623 rows (5.3%), mostly one- and two-word fragments in the food service and orientation discussions. |
Order of business (reconstructed)
No agenda was located. The chair refers to "an agenda in front of us tonight" (0:01:15); this list is reconstructed from his transitions. Votes were by voice; no dissent is audible on the transcript.
Items in the order taken up, with dispositions as heard on the recording.
| Taken up | Item | Disposition |
|---|
| 0:00:11 | Call to order, Pledge, roll call | "Roll call attendants, please." (0:00:46); answers are not attributable to names. |
| 0:01:15 | Agenda | Benware: "We accept the agenda as written." (0:01:26); second By Mike (0:01:28); approved. |
| 0:01:28 | Minutes: February 9 retreat and February 20 meeting | Benware moves both sets (0:01:51); the chair seconds (0:02:07). Towle corrects the retreat minutes, which named her "a delegate to the delegate assembly" (0:02:11). The chair then notes "We didn't vote" (0:03:01); Benware moves "the minutes, as amended" (0:03:10); seconded by "Mike again" and approved (0:03:13). |
| 0:02:52 | Student representative's report | Report given; no action. |
| 0:07:53 | Superintendent's report | Given by the assistant superintendent; no action. |
| 0:11:48 | Citizens' comments | "Seeing none, we'll close citizens comments." (0:12:08). |
| 0:12:08 | Acceptance of donations | Office furniture worth about $3,000 for the accounting program and $360 from the Polish American Citizens Club for three students' eighth-grade trip (0:12:20, 0:12:48). Benware moves (0:13:48); second not clearly attributed; approved (0:14:09). |
| 0:14:13 | Superintendent search update | Report; the SAU 6 board "will decide tomorrow night" (0:15:59). |
| 0:16:34 | School climate survey questions | Members suggest questions; deadline to be confirmed. No vote. |
| 0:25:06 | CTE summer programs | Inmate carpentry course: Benware moves to "approve this program for the summer with the Department of Correction" (0:30:02); "It was Rob" seconds; approved (0:30:11). Middle school camp: "this is an FYI" (0:36:46), no vote. |
| 0:36:53 | Impact of early childhood education | Presentation; no action. |
| 1:01:20 | Policies, second and final reading | Benware moves the policies, transcribed as "A CACRACECBI see MDADBDFADFA. I'd I'd DJEHBEHBRFEIGHPKEDLC and d a for final read" (1:01:57); no second is audible; the chair calls the vote (1:02:47). The policy codes cannot be recovered reliably from the transcript. |
| 1:05:03 | Claremont School District annual report | Received; no approval needed under a policy change the acting superintendent describes (1:07:04). |
| 1:07:29 | Food service contract | Discussion; the provider to be invited to the March 20 meeting (1:31:42, 1:31:48). No vote. |
| 1:36:38 | Future agenda items | i-Ready mid-year data and kindergarten measures for March 20; a new board member orientation; enrollment-study information for the April retreat. |
| 1:42:07 | Announcements; good of the order | SAU 6 board "tomorrow night at 630" (1:42:07); code of conduct request (1:42:28); farewells. |
| 1:48:41 | Adjournment | Benware moves (1:48:41); Pierce seconds (1:48:44); approved (1:48:49). |
Discussion timeline
Times are taken from the dialogue transcript (Dialogue/10274 SchoolBoard030619.mp4.CSV) and link into the recording.
Topics in chronological order.
| Time | Topic | What was said | Flags |
|---|
| 0:01:15 | Agenda and minutes | "We have two sets of minutes. February 9th, which I think is the retreat and the 20th." (0:01:28). Towle's correction concerns her appointment as the board's School Boards Association delegate (0:02:11, 0:02:36). The first motion is never voted, so the minutes are moved again "as amended" (0:03:01 to 0:03:13). | MEDIUM |
| 0:03:20 | Student report | Senior play March 14-16 "right down the hall at the Teal Lantern"; sophomores' SAT practice; a technical center logo competition; middle school course selection and clubs. | |
| 0:07:55 | Superintendent's report | Student art at Valley Regional Hospital; "get out and vote next Tuesday the 12th" with polling places by ward (0:08:50). Photos posted online "had no students in them, just the artwork" (0:10:12). | |
| 0:12:20 | Donations | "The approximate value of the furniture is $3,000" (0:12:20); "the Polish American Citizens Club has donated $360" for "three students whose families are financially struggling" (0:12:48, 0:13:23). Accepted (0:13:48 to 0:14:09). | |
| 0:14:17 | Superintendent search | "We started with 15 candidates. We narrowed that down to five", then three in video interviews, then "our two finalists, Cory and Mike", who completed "3 to 4 hour storytelling interview" scored by the board members with the consultant (0:14:17, 0:14:47). A public meet and greet was held Monday. "Last night, the, the, superintendent search committee met for four hours" (0:15:17); "The essay board will decide tomorrow night" [SAU 6 board] (0:15:59). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:16:37 | School climate survey | The System of Care grant survey, run with Antioch University New England, can take up to five added questions: "We can't do more than five, but we can add up to five." (0:18:42). Zullo asks that demographic questions not identify small groups of staff (0:20:40) and proposes "do I feel supported by administrators" (0:21:56, 0:22:18). | |
| 0:25:29 | Inmate carpentry course | "a six week program and up to 12 inmates", July 8 to August 15, 5:30 to 9 p.m. (0:25:50); projects include picnic tables and a gazebo for the county nursing home (0:26:16); "an agreed upon price of $7,500 that cover our expenses for supplies, for building rental, and for the salaries" (0:26:41). Participants are "misdemeanor offenders" eligible for work release (0:27:45); "one community corrections officer for the group" (0:29:12). Benware: "There are no students in the building." (0:28:36). Approved (0:30:11). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:30:29 | Middle school summer camp | One week, 8:30 to 12:30, culinary and construction; teacher salaries are "the big obstacle" with no budget (0:34:05). No vote: "this is an FYI" (0:36:46). | |
| 0:36:56 | Early childhood program | "Back in 20 1516, we were one of eight other districts that were flagged by the Department of Education for not making significant enough significant progress with children's social emotional development" (0:39:12); "we went from being tagged in 20 1516 as a very low performing school" to aiming to be "a model demonstration school" (0:44:15). Enrollment capped at 72, half for children with IEPs (1:00:21). On the chair's question about reducing special education identification (0:57:09), the director says typical children who get early support might otherwise "end up being identified and needing an IEP" (0:57:32); the acting superintendent cautions "there are requirements by law" (0:58:07). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:01:25 | Policies | Policies from the subcommittee are shown with their changes "until we finalize them in their new format" (1:01:25) and adopted on second and final read (1:01:57 to 1:02:47). The chair commends the subcommittee (1:02:51). | MEDIUM |
| 1:05:08 | Annual report | Available around the city with "the financials and the articles to be voted on next week" (1:05:20); "The 550 copies we talked about today cost about $1,800." (1:08:56). The policy was changed so that the board receives rather than approves it (1:07:04). | |
| 1:13:13 | Food service contract | The contract is "almost completely dictated by USDA federal guidelines" (1:13:41). The Department of Education's contracts manager advised that a change to how the provider "generates their revenue, that could be considered a material change" requiring "a new RFP" (1:14:52, 1:15:24); the acting superintendent reads "the exact language from the state" (1:24:24). Petrin proposes bag lunches for all purchasing students (1:22:24); the chair: "That's the nuclear option." (1:23:12). A la carte is "about 2.6%" of $655,000 in sales (1:29:33). "it's a five year agreement, but it's five individual years" (1:31:21); decision "by April 1st roughly" (1:31:29). The acting superintendent advises against changing course for 2019-20 for lack of "manpower" (1:34:41). The provider is to be invited for March 20. | POSITIVE |
| 1:36:45 | Future agenda; orientation | Kindergarten assessment options (1:36:58). A new board member orientation: "that's something that we have in our policy. It hasn't been done historically" (1:39:41); Sprague and Benware volunteer. School Boards Association materials are available (1:40:06). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:42:07 | SAU 6 meeting; code of conduct | Petrin will run the SAU 6 board the next night because the SAU chair has had "Hip surgery." (1:42:17). Lovett, citing the City Council: "we need to take a page or at least learn from that and update our own code of conduct" (1:42:28); the current one "was made in 2013, 2008" and is "more of like a, you know, this is what we suggest you do" (1:43:27, 1:43:54). Benware proposes the April retreat (1:43:11). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:44:58 | Farewells and closing | No candidate time at the next night's meeting; the forum "was televised last night" (1:45:13). Pierce thanks the board (1:45:15); Towle on Heather Whitney (1:47:07). Enrollment-study information from NESDEC [transcribed deck] for the retreat (1:47:34). Adjourned (1:48:49). | |
Items flagged for review
These flags are a reviewer's aid, not findings of violation and not legal advice. Each one names the rule it rests on, as that rule read on March 6, 2019, or is labeled an observation where no verified rule applies. The RSA 91-A:2, II requirement that minutes name each motion's mover and seconder took effect January 1, 2019, and applies to this meeting.
MEDIUM No agenda, packet or minutes survive in any district share, and two seconds are missing from the recording
The meeting had an agenda (0:01:15) and a packet ("You received them as a first or last time in your packet", 1:01:25), and the board approved two sets of minutes on tape, including minutes of its February 9 retreat (0:01:28 to 0:03:13), so minutes were being kept. None of this meeting's documents, and neither of those sets of minutes, is in the district's public shares: MAP.md records that neither share holds a year folder older than 2022. RSA 91-A:2, II required minutes with the names of members, persons appearing, a brief description of the subject matter and final decisions, open to public inspection "not more than 5 business days after the meeting", and from January 1, 2019, the names of each motion's mover and seconder. On this recording no second is audible for the policy adoption (1:01:57 to 1:02:47), the second on the donations is unclear (0:13:48), and two seconds are known only as Mike and Rob; the minutes are the only place those names could be checked. Graded MEDIUM under the project's rule for missing records because the record mitigates the gap: the meeting was noticed and packeted and minutes were evidently kept, and only their public availability is missing.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II, 2019 codification (source note ends 2018, 244:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2019): minutes contents, mover and seconder, five business days
OBSERVATION The superintendent search committee's sessions are described, but their public record is not visible
The vice chair described a process run by a search committee with a hired consultant: five candidates interviewed, three in video interviews, two finalists in "3 to 4 hour storytelling interview" scored by board members, a public meet and greet, and a four-hour committee session the night before this meeting (0:14:17 to 0:15:46). RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d) makes "any committee, subcommittee, or subordinate body thereof, or advisory committee thereto" a public body, so a search committee of the SAU 6 board carries notice and minutes duties. Candidate interviews could lawfully be held in nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3, II(b), "The hiring of any person as a public employee", but only on a motion naming the exemption and a roll-call vote under 91-A:3, I(b), with minutes kept. Whether the committee's sessions were noticed and minuted is outside this recording, and SAU 6 records from 2019 are not in any district share. One finalist, Cory, was the acting superintendent presenting at this meeting; the update was given by the vice chair, not by her. The SAU 6 board's decision was set for March 7 (0:15:59).
Sources: RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d), 2019 codification (source note ends 2008, 354:1): committees and advisory committees are public bodies; RSA 91-A:3, I(b) and II(b), 2019 codification (source note ends 2016, 30:1 and 280:1): nonpublic motion and roll call; hiring exemption
OBSERVATION A county inmate program in a district building was approved on an oral presentation
The board approved a six-week evening carpentry course for up to 12 Sullivan County inmates in the technical center, for "an agreed upon price of $7,500" covering supplies, building rental and the instructor's salary (0:26:41), with "one community corrections officer for the group" (0:29:12) and no students in the building (0:28:36). Nothing on the recording refers to a written agreement or to terms on liability, insurance or cancellation; with no packet surviving, whether one was before the board cannot be checked. The members' questions were about safety and who would attend (0:27:25, 0:29:05). No rule was verified that requires a written agreement for such a use, so this is an observation; a later page may show whether a contract was signed.
Sources: the recording (0:25:29 to 0:30:11); no statute verified.
OBSERVATION Early intervention was framed as a way to reduce special education identification
The chair asked about the preschool as "a method by which we could reduce identification for special end in a beginning" (0:57:09). The director explained that early support might keep typical children from "being identified and needing an IEP" (0:57:32), and added "we're not so focused on identifying we're more focused on supports. But as we get closer to kindergarten, if somebody definitely needs ongoing supports, then we assess and then we identify." (0:58:21). Federal law requires that "All children with disabilities residing in the State" be identified, located and evaluated. Support that makes later identification unnecessary is lawful; delaying the evaluation of a child already suspected of a disability is not. Nothing on the recording shows a delayed evaluation, and the acting superintendent cautioned that "there are requirements by law" (0:58:07). The statement is recorded because the "reduce identification" framing is the kind a reviewer should test against the district's child-find practice.
Sources: 20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(3)(A) (IDEA child find: all children with disabilities identified, located and evaluated)
OBSERVATION Two of the board's own governance rules described as unused or out of date
The acting superintendent said a new board member orientation is "something that we have in our policy. It hasn't been done historically" (1:39:41), and a member described the board's code of conduct as dating from "2013, 2008" and as "more of like a, you know, this is what we suggest you do", with nothing "really concrete" (1:43:27, 1:43:54). Both are board policies, not statutes, so neither is a legal defect; they are recorded because the board itself identified them, and Sprague and Benware volunteered for the orientation work (1:39:41). The code of conduct was referred to the April retreat (1:43:11).
Sources: the recording (1:39:01 to 1:44:29); policy texts not available.
POSITIVE State guidance obtained before the board changed its food service contract
Before the board debated changing a la carte sales, the acting superintendent asked the Department of Education's contracts manager what would count as a material change, and read the state's language to the board: a significant change "that would have caused the vendor to have issued a different proposal during the RFP process" means "you would have to go back out to bid" (1:24:24). She recommended running any change past the department first (1:15:24). The business administrator described the contract as "a five year agreement, but it's five individual years" (1:31:21), which matches the federal limit of a one-year term with up to four renewals for food service management company contracts. The provider was invited to answer questions in public at the next meeting, and the vice chair confirmed nothing about it needed to be discussed out of public view (1:32:11).
Sources: 7 CFR 210.16(a) and (d), 2019 annual edition (management company contracts: state oversight, procurement, one-year term with no more than four renewals)
Appendix: source files
Official and public sources
- Cablecast: SCHOOL BOARD meeting 3-6-19 (show 10274; run time from the Cablecast API not retrieved, as the API refuses requests from this environment)
- Google Drive: no agenda, packet or minutes. MAP.md: "neither share holds a year folder older than 2022, and the Meeting Minutes share starts at 2023 (checked 9/26/26)." Not searched again for this page, per the run instructions for meetings with no Drive material.
- Related meeting page: Claremont School Board, February 20, 2019 (lunch debt, the food service renewal deadline and the February 9 retreat)
Project files
Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.
Dialogue/10274 SchoolBoard030619.mp4.CSV (623 attributed rows; the basis of this page)Input/Videos/10274 SchoolBoard030619.mp4Input/Transcripts/10274 SchoolBoard030619.mp4.jsonInput/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 94Scripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/10274 SchoolBoard030619.mp4.md (speaker attribution report)
Laws and rules cited on this page
- RSA 91-A:2, II, 2019 codification (2018, 244:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2019): minutes, mover and seconder, five business days
- RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d), 2019 codification (2008, 354:1): committees are public bodies
- RSA 91-A:3, I(b) and II(b), 2019 codification (2016, 30:1; 280:1): nonpublic motion and roll call; hiring
- 20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(3)(A): IDEA child find
- 7 CFR 210.16, 2019 annual edition: food service management company contracts