Claremont School Board — October 2, 2019 | State budget, Medicaid authorization, program of studies, German exchange

Participants

Everyone the recording shows taking part, as named in the project's dialogue file. No minutes exist online to check spellings against, so non-members' names are as the transcription heard them and are marked where unverified. Students named in the student report are not repeated here. Members are listed first.
Name	Role	Participation
Frank Sprague	Chair	Moved citizens' comments earlier permanently; asked about running start teacher qualifications and eStart; invited Rep. Merchant to speak; floated moving Medicaid-billable therapies out of school ("the radical view"); asked for an agenda item on alternative programs and graduation; confirmed the retreat would be warned as a public meeting.
Rebecca Zullo	Vice chair	Had her school-safety request added to the September 18 minutes and seconded them; questioned the assistant superintendent title and the March timing of harassment training; asked about the alternative program, AP capacity and the program-of-studies timeline; seconded the German exchange; pressed the Medicaid referral problem from a therapist's perspective; described the policy committee's bullying-policy work.
Heather Whitney	Board member	Welcomed the returning assistant superintendent; asked about AP exam costs and promoted running start; moved the German exchange; spoke on the Medicaid referral model and in-district nurse practitioners; reported no policies ready; asked for a future update on financial safeguards; moved adjournment.
Michael Petrin	Board member; SAU 6 chair	Moved the September 18 minutes; described the Craig Scott community event; asked about allied health professionals under the Medicaid rule; suggested partnering with hospitals; seconded adjournment.
Jason Benware, Rob Lovett Jr., Carolyn Towle	Board members	Named in the roll (Benware as "Jason Benoit", Towle as "Carolyn Toll"). No speech attributed. Zullo credits "Rob" on the policy committee.
Tyler Sullivan	Student representative	Showed two videos about Craig Scott's visit and reported on Stevens, middle school and elementary events.
Michael Tempesta	Superintendent, SAU 6	Superintendent's report: Rachel's Challenge visit, the business office, the audit timetable, state budget aid, professional development and the strategic plan committees; answered on the assistant superintendent title, AP access and in-district special education programs.
Richard Seaman	Assistant superintendent of finance and operations, SAU 6 (started the previous day)	Introduced by Tempesta; one remark about a family that hosted German exchange students.
Donna Magoon	Assistant superintendent, SAU 6 (attribution uncertain)	The dialogue file gives her the answers on harassment-training timing; the attribution report marks these rows uncertain. Tempesta credits "Donna McGowan" with the professional development calendar.
Ben Nester	Director of Special Education, SAU 6 (medium confidence)	Explained how IEP teams determine Medicaid-billable services, proposed an in-district advanced practice registered nurse, and described catastrophic special education aid.
Mr. Morris	Stevens High School administrator (first name not stated)	Presented the program of studies "In for Pat tonight" (Principal Patricia Barry). Not the city manager of the same surname.
Gary (surname not recovered)	German exchange coordinator, Stevens High School	Presented the German exchange program. Called only "Gary" on the recording.
Gary Merchant	State Representative, Ward 2	Spoke at the chair's invitation on the federal Medicaid authorization requirement, stabilization grants, disparity aid and the school funding commission.
Craig Scott	Rachel's Challenge / Value Up speaker (recorded video only)	Heard in a video the student representative played: "My name is Craig Scott."
Mary Woodman	Clerk	Called the roll.
Unidentified	Voices in the student video; brief interjections	Students and staff in the recorded testimonials; short remarks in the room, including "I'll take care of that then." when citizens' comments were moved permanently.

Order of business (reconstructed)

No agenda for this meeting is posted in any district share, so this list is reconstructed from the chair's transitions on the recording. An agenda existed: the chair refers to lettered items and to "an agenda in front of us". Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped entry for the full text.

Taken up	Item	Agenda text / disposition
0:00:04	Call to order, pledge, roll call	6:30 p.m.
0:01:05	Agenda	Citizens' comments moved ahead of the superintendent's report, the chair saying "I'd like to do that permanently."; program of studies and implications of the state budget swapped. Moved as amended, Whitney seconding; voice vote.
0:03:10	Minutes of September 18, 2019	Amended to add Zullo's request for a school safety discussion. Petrin: "Motion. We approve the September 18th, 2019 minutes, as amended." Zullo seconded; voice vote. Minutes of the joint meeting with the council held for a later meeting.
0:04:35	Student representative report	Tyler Sullivan, with two videos.
0:15:33	Citizens' comments	"I see citizens, but none that will make comments."
0:16:02	Superintendent's report	Rachel's Challenge, business office, audits, state budget, PD days, strategic plan committees; questions from Whitney and Zullo.
0:39:00	Discussion: program of studies	Presented by Mr. Morris; discussion only, no vote.
0:50:34	German exchange (GAPP)	Whitney moved to approve; Zullo seconded; carried by voice vote at 0:56:06.
0:56:18	Discussion: implications of the negotiated state budget	Medicaid segment, then regular aid; Rep. Gary Merchant, Ben Nester and the superintendent.
1:19:08	Acceptance of donation for CMS students	$500 from the Chamber of Commerce for middle school binders; moved by Petrin, accepted by voice vote "With gratitude".
1:19:54	Policy approval	"No policies to approve this evening."
1:20:52	Future agenda items	Alternative programs and graduation; grading, safety, health policies; the October 20 retreat; financial safeguards update.
1:26:47	Other business; adjournment	Whitney moved, Petrin seconded; voice vote.

Discussion timeline

Chronological, from the dialogue CSV. Times are the start of the cited exchange, taken from the CSV's own second count. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped cell for the full entry.

Time	Topic	What was said	Flags
0:00:46	Roll call	"Jason Benoit, Rob Lovett, junior. Michael. Patron." then "Heather Whitney, Carolyn Toll, and Frank Sprague." No answers are transcribed and Zullo's name is not heard.	OBSERVATION
0:01:15	Citizens' comments moved up, permanently	The chair moved citizens' comments ahead of the lengthy superintendent's report so anyone waiting to speak could come up sooner. Asked whether this was just for tonight: "I'd like to do that permanently." A voice: "I'll take care of that then."	POSITIVE
0:03:18	September 18 minutes amended	Zullo said her request to discuss school safety and protocols was missing from the other-business section. Chair: "Rebecca Zullo would like to see school safety discussed at some point in the future." Approved as amended.
0:05:06	Student report: Rachel's Challenge	A video of Craig Scott, whose sister Rachel Joy Scott was killed at Columbine, then Sullivan's account of his day at Stevens: assemblies, a student leadership training, a staff training and a community event; students formed a "Friends of Writers Club" [Friends of Rachel club]. Middle school students of the month and elementary events followed.
0:13:57	Petrin on the community event	He went in "fearing that it could be a little more of a political commentary" and came out seeing the program's value; "I'd like to see that Jim packed next time he's here." [gym; he corrected himself to the auditorium].
0:15:33	Citizens' comments	"I see citizens, but none that will make comments."
0:16:09	Superintendent: Rachel's Challenge; drama	Tempesta had worked with Craig Scott in Massachusetts; Scott will video-conference in the spring. "There were about 70 people there last night". The new drama coach is staging Peter and the Starcatcher.
0:22:32	Business office and audits	"Richard Seaman is with us tonight, our new assistant superintendent of finance and operations." An accountant and grants manager: "And Sharon Muzak will be joining us in November." (name as transcribed). Audits: "the timelines for the 17 audits should be completed by the end of October" and "the 1850 completed by the end of December" [the 18 audit]; "we spoke to the auditors this week".	MEDIUM
0:23:49	State budget compromise	"the difference between the current laws and the compromise budget is about $5.5 million." Coming to Claremont, split among operating and building aid not yet known; statewide "almost 140 million more than was promised before". "I think our first budget meeting is on the 20th".
0:26:00	PD days and strategic plan	Professional development themes of vertical alignment and trauma-informed instruction. Three initiatives: community involvement and safety (police, fire, health and human services and the courts on committees); teaching and learning (competency grading, STEM and arts, staffing, alternative programming, schedules); social-emotional learning and counseling roles. Residents can sign up through the website.
0:35:27	Assistant superintendent title	Whitney asked about the change in title; Tempesta said it returns to a former title, with HR shared between Seaman and himself. Zullo: the title "implies that we have three assistant superintendents, which I think, just makes me nervous." and "Do you need to have your tags for that or if that's the title." Tempesta: "So we have two assistant superintendent." and "we have fewer bodies though."
0:37:40	Harassment training timing	Zullo: "I noticed that you guys are doing the one hour mandated training for harassment and bullying. And that's in March." Answer (dialogue file: Donna Magoon, uncertain): "Moving forward, we're going to look at doing it more at the beginning of the year." It will be delivered through Frontline and remain annual for all staff.
0:39:16	Program of studies	AP weighted credit only for students who sit the exam: "You'll have your grade, your GPA recalculated to 4.0 credit versus 5.0 credit if you don't sit for the exam." Removed: "elimination of anything related to the alt program". "The state has required us to merge New Hampshire history with US history." citing a provision transcribed as "Our essay 3064 point or 306.46" (not verified for this page); the DOE was consulted.
0:41:51	AP costs; running start	On exam cost for low-income students, "it's about $3 for the exam", with budget money for hardship. Whitney on running start: "it seems like you might be paying a little bit upfront, but boy, it can save you a lot on the tail end." Tempesta: "I think we have about 40 or 50 kids right now participating in that composition class".
0:44:13	AP capacity; a living document	Zullo said AP classes fill and a student may be sent to an online course instead, meaning parents "pay taxes and send your kid to school and then you need to send your kid, you know, to a classroom to do online learning". Tempesta pointed to the scheduling and curriculum committees. Morris: "So the plan going forward is to make this a living document."
0:51:01	German exchange approved	"We signed the agreement in 2001. We had our first exchange in 2003, and we've had eight so far." Home stays both ways: "So our students do not have any room and board expenses when they are in Germany." Whitney: "I'd like to make a motion to approve." Zullo: "I'll second that." Carried by voice.
0:56:50	Medicaid authorization change	Sprague called the Medicaid cuts "a of a wet blanket on this whole thing" and asked "my representative in Ward two, Gary Merchant" to help. Merchant: "It's not New Hampshire specifically."; federal rules require that services be "authorized by a health care provider, which is like a physician, a nurse practitioner, a PA." Therapists "can't authorize their own service." Zullo: "we're not going to get reimbursed for any services that have started since. When? June. July 1st." and feared "4000 referrals on students".
1:04:46	The radical view	Sprague asked whether services could be pushed "into the medical field": "if it's a medical issue, let the medical people deal with it." Petrin: "You're not going to get the same level of service. Not even close." Zullo explained push-in services and cautioned the public against reading it as children missing class.
1:08:17	Regular aid, disparity aid, commission	Merchant: "The stabilization grants are fully funded now.", with catch-up payments over three quarters; added free and reduced lunch aid; "There's a bump in there for the called disparity aid, which is really kind of a nice of saying capital aid." with use restrictions still unknown; and "there's a $500,000 funding for a commission" to find "a long term solution to funding public education".
1:12:55	An in-district nurse practitioner	Nester: a contingency plan to hire "our own advanced practice registered nurse in district." part time, which could recoup Medicaid "minus their salary". Tempesta: in-district programs that take tuition students, where "1 or 2 tuitions coming in can pay for the whole program", to be costed and brought to the board.
1:14:31	Catastrophic special education aid	Nester: "we're still getting 62% of what the state promises"; eligibility at "three and a half times the tuition rate", "So it's around 56,000."; "And it goes down every year."	OBSERVATION
1:19:16	$500 Chamber donation	"a check from the Chamber of Commerce for $500 donated towards the purchase of binders for the middle school". Petrin moved acceptance; voice vote.	POSITIVE
1:19:54	Policy	Whitney: "No policies to approve this evening." Zullo said the committee had spent much time on the bullying policy.
1:21:37	Alternative programs and graduation	Sprague: "someone had said that the class started at 130 or something and wound up graduating 80 something"; he asked what became of the others and what options exist since the ombudsman program ended ("I actually wrote the grant for that program."), finding in his own visits that "overwhelmingly it was school phobia". Requested as a future agenda item.
1:24:24	The October 20 retreat, warned	"the retreat is going to be the 20th. And that starts at 10:00." at the tech center. On warning it: "It has the same format. It's a regular board meeting open to the public, with citizens comments. But we'll simply have the single agenda item of a budget retreat."	POSITIVE
1:25:23	Financial safeguards update requested	Whitney asked for an update on "processes or safeguards that could have been in the system that would have protected the district from the losses that it" "Did and almost suffered". Tempesta: "We'll be getting some audit letter. We've already had a lot of recommendation from the from the auditors". Set for early in the new year.	MEDIUM
1:26:50	Adjournment	"Like to make a motion to adjourn the meeting." Voice vote.

Items flagged for review

Flags are a reviewer's aid generated by comparing the meeting against the law in force on October 2, 2019. Several provisions cited below have since been amended, and each flag cites the text as it then read. They are not findings of violation, and nothing here is legal advice. Where no verified rule applies, the flag says so and is recorded as an observation. Five flags follow, ordered by severity.

MEDIUM The superintendent reported the fiscal 2017 audit due at the end of October 2019 and the fiscal 2018 audit at the end of December

At 0:23:01 Tempesta said "the timelines for the 17 audits should be completed by the end of October" and the 18 audit by the end of December, after speaking to the auditors that week. The years ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2018, so the audits were running about 28 and 18 months after year end. For any entity that "expends $750,000 or more during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards", the Uniform Guidance in force required the single audit "within the earlier of 30 calendar days after receipt of the auditor's report(s), or nine months after the end of the audit period". At the end of the meeting a member asked for a public account of safeguards "that would have protected the district from the losses" it had suffered or nearly suffered (1:25:23), and the superintendent said the auditors had already made many recommendations.

Why MEDIUM: the recording does not name the audited entity or give its federal expenditures, so the single-audit threshold cannot be shown to apply from this record alone, although the district runs federally funded programs (a Title I annual meeting is mentioned at the October 16 meeting). The same timetable is reported, with the years corrected by the business administrator, at the SAU 6 meeting of October 10. The lateness predates the administrators presenting it.

Sources: 2 CFR 200.501(a) (2019 annual edition); 2 CFR 200.512(a)(1) (2019 annual edition).

OBSERVATION Catastrophic special education aid was described by a tuition-based threshold; the statute measures it against the state average expenditure per pupil

At 1:14:58 the special education director told the board that aid begins at "three and a half times the tuition rate", which he and the chair put at about $56,000, and that the district receives "62% of what the state promises". The statute then in force measured the threshold differently: aid applies where a child's special education costs "exceed 31/2 times the estimated state average expenditure per pupil", with the state "liable for 80 percent of the cost above" that level, and where the appropriation is insufficient "the appropriation shall be prorated proportionally". The proration the director described was therefore lawful in 2019 (the 2025 floor on proration did not yet exist), but the dollar threshold he gave rests on a different base than the statute's and should not be relied on. The page records the board's understanding, not an error of the district's filings, which are not in the record.

Sources: RSA 186-C:18, III(a)-(b) (2019 codification; source note ends 2017, 156:96-100, eff. July 1, 2017).

OBSERVATION No agenda, packet or minutes for this meeting are posted online

MAP.md section 111 records that neither district Drive share holds anything before July 2022 (checked 9/26/26), so this page rests on the recording alone. That is a limit of what the district posts online, not by itself evidence that records were never made: the board amends and approves its September 18 minutes on this recording, and approves these minutes on October 16 (October 16 page). In 2019 RSA 91-A:2, II required minutes to be "open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after the meeting". The roll call on the tape carries no audible answers and omits a member who took part, so only the minutes could establish attendance. The limb of the project's missing-records rule applied is the online-availability observation.

Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (2019 codification; source note ends 2018, 244:1); Input/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md section 111.

POSITIVE The chair treated the Sunday budget retreat as a public meeting, to be warned with citizens' comments

At 1:24:57 the chair said of the October 20 retreat: "It has the same format. It's a regular board meeting open to the public, with citizens comments. But we'll simply have the single agenda item of a budget retreat." That is the correct reading of the Right-to-Know Law, under which a quorum convening to discuss district business is a meeting whatever it is called, and it goes beyond the law's minimum by offering public comment, which no statute required of a school board in 2019. The venue given here is the tech center; on October 16 members spoke of the community center (October 16 page, flag 2), so the notice would have needed to carry the final location.

Sources: RSA 91-A:2, I and II (2019 codification; meeting definition and notice).

POSITIVE Public comment moved earlier for good, and a small gift accepted by vote on a noticed agenda item

The chair moved citizens' comments ahead of the superintendent's report "permanently" so residents would not wait through long reports (0:02:24). Separately, the $500 Chamber of Commerce donation for middle school binders appeared as its own agenda item and was accepted by a public vote (1:19:27). For unanticipated money under $5,000, RSA 198:20-b, III(b) as it then read required the board to "post notice of the funds in the agenda" and in the minutes, with acceptance "made in public session of any regular school board meeting"; the recording shows the agenda item and the public vote. Whether the district had adopted the enabling article that RSA 198:20-b, I requires cannot be checked from this record.

Sources: RSA 198:20-b, I and III(b) (2019 codification; source note ends 2005, 188:1).

Appendix: source files

Official and public sources

Cablecast show 10558, "SCHOOL BOARD meeting 10-2-19": Claremont Community TV. Every timestamp on this page links into this recording.
No Drive material: neither the Claremont nor the SAU 6 share holds a year folder older than 2022, and the Meeting Minutes share starts at 2023 (MAP.md, checked 9/26/26). No agenda, packet, program of studies or minutes were located.
Related pages: Claremont School Board, September 18, 2019 (the minutes amended here), SAU 6 Board, October 10, 2019 and Claremont School Board, October 16, 2019.

Project files

Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.

Dialogue/10558 SchoolBoard100219.mp4.CSV (465 attributed rows; the basis of this page)
Input/Videos/10558 SchoolBoard100219.mp4
Input/Transcripts/10558 SchoolBoard100219.mp4.json
Scripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/10558 SchoolBoard100219.mp4.md
Input/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 111

Laws and rules cited on this page

New Hampshire statutes, as in force on October 2, 2019. RSA 91-A:2, I and II (meeting, notice, minutes; 2019 codification). RSA 186-C:18, III (catastrophic special education aid; 2019 codification, later amended in 2021 and 2025). RSA 198:20-b (unanticipated funds; 2019 codification, later amended by 2023, 38:1).
Federal, 2019 annual CFR edition. 2 CFR 200.501(a); 2 CFR 200.512(a)(1).