Claremont School Board, January 21, 2020 | FY2021 budget hearing and regular meeting

Participants

Everyone heard on the recording. Public speakers are named as they introduced themselves at the podium, with the ward they gave; spellings are as transcribed and unverified where noted, since no minutes survive. Board and staff names follow the project's 2015-2023 roster and the speaker attribution report.
Name	Role	Participation
Frank Sprague	Chair, Claremont School Board	Opens and runs the hearing and the meeting, sets the speaking rules (0:38:58), and seconds the final budget motion (2:13:13). Says the middle-school positions were "at least partly funded by efficiencies" at the SAU (0:22:00).
Rebecca Zullo	Vice Chair	Seconds Whitney's reserve motion and votes for it; says a major change like the reorganization should go to the community (1:17:25); presses on why the school calendar cannot be coordinated with Newport (2:18:58).
Jason Benware	Board member	Answers a citizen on why the default budget is low (0:55:56); moves the budget twice (1:53:20, 2:12:39); supports a public vote on any reorganization (1:16:42); says he answered questions on the "What's up, Claremont?" Facebook group (1:30:02).
Rob Lovett Jr.	Board member	Answers roll call (1:45:33). No speech is attributed to him.
Michael Petrin	Board member	Roll call renders him "Michael. Patron" (1:45:33). No speech is attributed to him.
Heather Whitney	Board member; Capital Improvement Committee	Speaks on college preparation (0:48:55). Argues the two $500,000 reserve articles risk defeat (1:54:56) and moves them at $350,000 and $150,000 (2:10:25); the motion fails.
Carolyn Towle	Board member	Calls for public forums on the reorganization (1:16:09) and later clarifies that remark (1:31:09); says the reserve figures had not been discussed by the board (1:56:34); complains the room is too cold (2:22:32).
Michael Tempesta	Superintendent, SAU 6	Announces that the elementary reorganization is pushed "to next year" (0:02:27); states the budget goals; answers citizens on transportation, transitions and the reasons for the proposal (1:24:22).
Richard Seaman	Business administrator, SAU 6	Presents the budget, revenues, tax rate, warrant articles and default budget (0:10:03 to 0:38:31); answers questions on debt, the teachers' grid, maintenance and the snowplow contract.
Donna Magoon	Assistant superintendent, SAU 6 (per the project roster)	On play-based pre-K (1:09:04); reports the NHDOE's view of policy DAF (2:13:55); presents the 2020-21 calendar (2:15:31); reports ten sign-ups for the reorganization focus group (2:23:31).
Mary Woodman	School district clerk and recording secretary	Takes the roll (1:45:31).
Unidentified	SAU 6 administrator	Answers the pre-K question, describing the "pyramid model" (1:08:41). Never named.
Patrick Adrian	Public, Ward 1 (a former board member, per the project roster)	"Patrick Adrian Ward one." Asks what the $1.5 million of capital work covers (0:19:21).
Cynthia Howard	Public, Ward 2	Asks about the Stevens renovation debt, wood-pellet savings and the teachers' raise (0:40:05); opposes the new social studies positions and the budget's growth (0:47:57).
Tyler (introduces himself as "Tanner Tyler Sullivan")	Public, Ward 1; the board's student representative	Defends middle-school social studies from his own experience (0:46:23); asks about maintenance and the Disnard line (0:58:11).
Dave (surname not given)	Public, Ward 3	"Dave Ward three." A teacher's husband; thanks the board for the pause and lists his concerns about the reorganization (0:49:32).
Misty Wheelock	Public, Ward 3	Says she raised transportation on the "What's Up? Claremont? Group" and objects that grade-level schools remove older role models (0:53:04).
Amanda Barton	Public, Ward 2	Asks why the default budget is so low and suggests showing the tax effect on the ballot (0:54:56).
Brianna Gordon	Public, Ward 2	Asks about children with disabilities facing extra transitions (1:00:24).
Unidentified	Public	Says the research literature has vetted processes for many of the concerns raised (1:05:03).
Mike Levine (spelling as heard)	Public, Ward 1	"Mike Levine, board. One" (1:06:01); on social skills and mixing with other grades.
Sam Torres	Public, Ward 1; a preschool teacher in Claremont	Asks whether universal pre-K would be play based (1:07:22).
Michelle (surname not given)	Public, Ward 2	Supports the postponement and asks for evidence suited to Claremont's demographics (1:10:15); asks whether full-day pre-K depends on the reorganization (1:33:30).
Rod Beaton	Public, Ward 2	Asks when the board and its budget subcommittee knew of the plan and why it was not public earlier (1:11:08).
Vicky White	Public, Ward 3	Counts the transitions her children would face and asks whether the plan will go to a citizen vote (1:15:31).
Joyce Hines (surname as heard)	Public, Ward 2	"Joyce Hines. Brook Ward two." Argues for K-5 neighborhood schools and for teachers on the committee (1:17:54).
Samantha Fontaine	Public ("I'm the Maple Ward"; ward number not given)	Describes bus drop-off rules that would separate siblings (1:20:11).
Shelly (surname not given)	Public, Ward 2; a kindergarten teacher in the district	Asks for the "driving force" behind the reorganization and describes her buddy program (1:22:50).
Fred Weber	Public, Ward 1	Thanks the board for the information (1:35:56).
Norm Saint Aubin (spelling as heard)	Public, Ward 3	Tries to raise snow plowing during the hearing and is asked to wait (1:32:33); at citizens' comments, says the plowing contractor is paid "over $30,000 a year" while district trucks plow at overtime (1:50:28).
Unidentified (others)	Short remarks, seconds and votes	94 of 756 rows (12.4%) carry no name.

Order of business (reconstructed)

No agenda or notice survives. The chair sets out the hearing's order at 0:00:54; the regular meeting's order follows his transitions. He says the warrant articles are "in the packet" (1:54:14); no packet survives.

Taken up	Item	Disposition
0:00:09	Public hearing on the FY2021 budget: call to order	"I'd like to bring the public hearing for the 2020 2021 school budget to order."
0:01:45	Superintendent: elementary restructuring	Postponed: "we have decided that we're going to push that off to next year" (0:02:27). The chair declines a further presentation (0:06:16).
0:06:34	Overview of the FY2021 budget and warrant articles	Superintendent and business administrator; questions taken at 0:18:57.
0:36:16	Overview of the FY2021 default budget	Presented by the business administrator.
0:38:41	Citizens' comments on the budget and restructuring	Three minutes each, through the chair, second turns after everyone has spoken once (0:38:58). Sixteen speakers. Hearing closed 1:36:39; break.
1:44:49	Regular meeting: Pledge; roll call	Roll 1:45:30.
1:45:44	Agenda	Benware moves it "as presented" (1:45:56); unidentified second; approved (1:46:06).
1:46:06	Minutes of January 15, 2020	An unidentified member moves the minutes for 120; corrected to 115 (1:46:38); seconded; approved by voice vote (1:46:44).
1:46:44	Citizens' comments	One speaker, Norm Saint Aubin, on snow plowing. Closed 1:52:52.
1:52:52	Decision on the FY2021 budget and warrant articles	Benware moves the budget and all warrant articles to the deliberative session (1:53:20); the amount is stated as "$38,202,661" including grants (1:53:54); second 1:54:42. After discussion, Whitney moves to amend the two reserve articles; Benware withdraws his motion (2:09:48); Whitney moves the budget with Article 6 at $350,000 and Article 7 at $150,000 (2:10:25, 2:10:40), seconded by Benware and Zullo (2:10:58). It fails: "So 4 to 2 of the nays have it." (2:12:23), "all the eyes were Heather and Rebecca. The nays were the other four of us." (2:12:29). Seven members were present, so one vote is not accounted for on tape. Benware then moves the main budget "38,000 $238,202,661" with Articles 6 and 7 at $500,000 each (2:12:39); the chair seconds (2:13:13); passed by voice vote with no tally (2:13:16).
2:13:36	Policy DAF, second and final reading	Benware moves "second and final read for policy DAF" (2:15:07); seconded and approved by voice vote (2:15:11).
2:15:26	2020-21 school calendar	Start August 31; Benware moves "we accept the calendar as presented" (2:20:12); the chair seconds; approved (2:20:39).
2:20:53	Future agenda items and meetings	Deliberative session February 5, joint meeting February 20, retreat February 23 (2:21:30).
2:22:25	For the good of the order; adjournment	Room temperature; focus-group sign-ups. Adjournment moved and seconded (2:24:20), approved (2:24:24).

Discussion timeline

Times are taken from the dialogue transcript (Dialogue/10704 SchoolBoard012120.mp4.CSV) and link into the recording. Budget figures are as spoken; no budget document survives to check them against.

Time	Topic	What was said	Flags
0:01:45	Reorganization postponed	Tempesta: "we have decided that we're going to push that off to next year, to looking at it as part of the strategic plan. If I had it to do over again ... I would have waited to present that out." (0:02:27). Unresolved issues include transportation, raised with "a lot of bus drivers" (0:03:12). The aim was to "free up six teachers" (0:04:29). A feedback form goes up on the website (0:05:35).
0:10:03	Recommended budget	Seaman: "I've sat on this side as a member of the board" (0:10:21); a fiscal 21 budget "of 34,000,007, $37,661, which is an increase of $2.9 million" (a garble of the $34.7 million local figure) and a tax-rate reduction "of almost $0.60" (0:10:55). Debt service down about $21,000; the $65,000 interfund transfer dropped because "I could never find substantiation for why we had that there" (0:11:42).	OBS
0:12:10	Special education out of district	Last year "it was budgeted at 380,000"; next year 520,000. The special-education director had estimated "$800,000" (0:12:10); "I don't know why 380 was put in there" (0:12:44). Actuals: "In fiscal 19, there was 750,000 that was spent on out of district. In fiscal year 18. It was $790,000." This year's forecast is about "$600,000", so "we're going to be over budget this year." (0:13:16).	OBS
0:14:18	Locations	Middle school up "approximately 480,000, or 9%", with two social studies and two science teachers; Stevens up about $100,000; the alternative (PRIDE) program at "the $523,000 number" (0:15:12); the tech center down 367,000 as paraprofessionals move to district-wide (0:15:37).
0:17:37	Teachers' agreement	"We currently pay our starting teachers $36,000 a year. The going in the market is 40 to $42,000 a year." (0:17:59). First-year cost "approximately $400,000." (0:18:28). Later: the grid rises "$1,500 for each one of the each one of the buckets", about 5% at the bottom and 2.2% at the top (0:43:37).
0:19:21	Capital work	Patrick Adrian asks what the $1.5 million covers. Seaman: "about $650,000 of roofs", "about $400,000 of renovations, primarily over at the Dow building", HVAC "approximately 275,000" (0:20:20), interior work 165,000, security entry "a little over 100,000", grounds and exterior (0:20:54); in all "about $1.8 million" against $1.5 million budgeted (0:21:23).
0:22:00	SAU efficiencies	Sprague: the middle-school positions were "at least partly funded by efficiencies that were executed at the sea level" ([SAU] level), where Claremont pays "by far the most".
0:22:57	Revenues	To be raised from taxes "from 16.5 million down to 15.4 million" (0:23:17). Fund balance "once we conclude our audit from last year", "approximately $400,000" (0:24:37). Adequacy "up $1.2 million" (0:25:00); one-time 322,904 in free and reduced additional aid (0:25:23) and "$2,583,000" fiscal capacity disparity aid, "a total of approximately $2.9 million of one time money" (0:25:53). Catastrophic aid threshold described as "over $56,000" (0:27:09); Medicaid cut "from 540,000 to 260,000"; state revenues "to $18.1 million" (0:27:38).
0:29:48	Tax rate	Grants of "approximately $3.4 million"; "we're going to be raising $15,363,082 from taxes" on "the $749 million" valuation, "a total tax rate that will be being paid of $22.42, which is compares to the $24.49" (0:30:21).
0:30:56	Warrant articles	Secretaries: "the cost of the negotiation with the secretaries for next year is zero." (0:31:31). Paraprofessionals "$114,180, which translates into $0.15." (0:32:25). Maintenance and transportation $19,131 (0:32:40). The bus reserve: "$500,000 into a bus reserve. Expendable trust." spent only on a proposal to the board (0:33:35); a capital projects trust "structured the same way" (0:34:24). "Both of those have an impact of $0.67 on the tax rate." Net reduction $0.56 (0:35:15).
0:36:16	Default budget	"the default budget is required for SB two". It removes the $1.5 million of capital, "the $400,000" for the teachers (0:37:04), and "approximately 30 vacant positions that are not filled, haven't been filled and won't be filled", about "$700,000"; default "$5.68 lower" (0:37:30); with articles "a $4.17 reduction" against the recommended "56 cent reduction" (0:37:58).	POS
0:40:05	Debt and pellets	Cynthia Howard asks how much renovation debt remains. Seaman: a Bond Bank bond "will pay off completely in 2033", about "$560,000 per year" of principal (0:41:53); a lease of "$3.9 million, which was supported by the performance contract, the Johnson Controls performance contract that will be paid off July of 2029." (0:42:46). On wood-pellet savings, Sprague: "The number 25,000 comes into my head from last year. I have no idea this year." (0:41:19).
0:44:45	Social studies positions	Howard: social studies "isn't on the actual assessments"; "I think it's a waste myself." (0:46:00). Tempesta: it is "core content". Tyler: without middle-school social studies "I would not be able to have have completed all of the high school social studies requirements" (0:46:23). Howard: the budget grows 9% against a consumer price index of 2.3 (0:47:57).
0:49:32	Reorganization: public concerns	Dave: "I am grateful for a pause for a year." (0:52:12). Misty Wheelock: "we're destroying the idea of role models" (0:53:33). Brianna Gordon on children with disabilities (1:00:24). Mike Levine on social skills (1:06:04). Vicky White: one child "would transition back and forth five times by fifth grade" (1:15:31). Joyce Hines: most nearby districts change schools only twice (1:19:21). Samantha Fontaine on bus rules that separate siblings (1:21:56). Shelly: "it wasn't a budget issue, it wasn't academically driven" (1:22:50).
0:54:56	Why the default is low	Amanda Barton asks why the default budget cannot carry the teachers' raises. Benware: "You're somewhat penalized for being proactive" (0:55:58) and the one-time money widens the gap. Barton suggests showing "a little tax impact -$2.07" on the ballot (0:57:20).
0:58:41	Maintenance and Disnard lines	Seaman: the maintenance line "of $2.5 million" is building staff, not buses. On Disnard's decrease: "I didn't prepare the budget last year, and I don't have any work papers or anything that tells me how the budget last year was built." (0:59:17).	OBS
1:07:22	Pre-K	Sam Torres asks whether universal pre-K would be play based. An administrator: "the pyramid model" (1:08:41); Magoon: "So it would be a play based, you know, model." (1:09:04).
1:11:08	Process	Rod Beaton asks when the board and "the budget subcommittee" knew. Tempesta: "this wasn't originally a complete plan" (1:11:48); "I completely take responsibility for that" (1:12:42). Beaton: "more communication would be would be very much appreciated." (1:15:11).
1:15:53	A vote on the plan?	Benware: it would affect "the parents of 750 or 800 kids" and "I don't think it should be left to seven of us." (1:17:15). Zullo agrees (1:17:30). Tempesta: "if it's the decision to go to a vote for that, so be it." (1:27:34). Towle later says she spoke to forums, not a vote (1:31:35).
1:47:11	Snow plowing complaint	Norm Saint Aubin: the contractor "took the bid for 29.5 plus the cost of living for five years" (1:47:45) while "the school pickups are out there plowing. Were paying time and a half." Seaman: "I have not gone through the contract, so I'll have to find out." (1:50:18); "I'll share it back to the board" (1:51:20).	OBS
1:54:47	The reserve articles	Whitney: "I'm not 100% sure if if $1 million in Warren articles is is a figure that will pass" (1:55:21). Towle: "that was the first time I saw the Warren article last week" and "We had not come to a dollar discussion." (1:57:08). Benware recalls the governor's "$6.2 million check": "Not once did he speak about tax relief." (2:02:25). Seaman: three years of repair warrants came to "about $1 million" (2:03:22). Whitney: "I'd rather have 250 than nothing." (2:05:24).
2:10:25	Votes	Whitney's motion at $350,000 and $150,000 fails, ayes Whitney and Zullo, "the other four" against (2:12:29). Benware's motion with both reserves at $500,000 passes by voice vote (2:13:16).
2:13:55	Policy DAF adopted	Magoon met the NHDOE: the policy "has to do with any federal funding that we receive the spending, not our general funding", and "part of our audit and we audit. This is what we we need to fix." (2:14:18). "This is approved. I send it into the Doe in our audit is all set." (2:14:52). Sprague: "There you go. You can finish the audit." (2:15:11).	POS
2:15:31	Calendar	School starts August 31 because of the September primary; "I did meet with the teachers union today and they approved this calendar." (2:15:58). Benware and Sprague on mismatched calendars with Newport for the tech center (2:16:31, 2:16:54).
2:23:31	Focus group	Magoon: "currently we have ten people that have already signed up to be on the Claremont Elementary School Reconfiguration Focus." (2:23:31).

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 January 21, 2020, or is labeled an observation where no verified rule applies. RSA 91-A is cited from its 2019 codification (source note ends 2018, 244:1); RSA 40:13 from its 2019 codification (source note ends 2019, 192:2); RSA 32:5 from its 2019 codification (source note ends 2018, 246:1).

MEDIUM No hearing notice, agenda, packet or minutes for this meeting survive in any district share

MAP.md records no Drive material: the district's shares hold no year folder older than 2022, and the Meeting Minutes share starts at 2023. RSA 91-A:2, II required minutes "open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after the meeting", naming movers and seconders. RSA 40:13, II-a also set a calendar this page cannot test without documents: notice of the budget hearing by the second Tuesday in January (January 14, 2020) and posting of the warrant and budget "on or before the last Monday in January" (January 27). This page applies the MEDIUM limb of the project's severity rule, and the evidence is weaker than for the two preceding meetings: the clerk took the roll and was recording the meeting (1:45:31), and the board approved each of the two previous meetings' minutes at the next meeting, but no recording in the corpus shows these minutes being approved. The gap matters on this night in particular. The 2-to-4 vote on the reserve articles accounts for six of seven members present (2:12:29), and the final budget motion passed with no count (2:13:16); minutes are the only place either would be settled.

Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (2019 codification); RSA 40:13, II-a (2019 codification; hearing notice and posting dates)

OBSERVATION The current year's out-of-district special-education line was set at $380,000 against an $800,000 estimate, and the business administrator forecasts an overrun

The business administrator says the elementary out-of-district line for the current year (FY2020) "was budgeted at 380,000", although the special-education director's estimate had been "$800,000", and actual spending was 750,000 in FY2019 and "$790,000" in FY2018 (0:12:10 to 0:13:16). "I don't know why 380 was put in there". He forecasts about $600,000 for FY2020, "So we're going to be over budget this year." No rule cited here forbids an under-estimated line; RSA chapter 32 lets the governing body move money between lines within the total appropriation, so the overrun is not itself a violation. The observation is that the FY2020 budget voters approved understated a known cost by roughly $220,000 to $420,000, and that FY2021's $520,000 rests on the success of new in-district programs. The FY2020 year-end budget-to-actual report would show how the overrun was covered.

Sources: the recording (above); no statute verified for this flag

OBSERVATION The FY2021 budget was built without the prior year's work papers

Twice tonight the business administrator says the district's records do not explain last year's budget: of the $65,000 transfer, "I could never find substantiation for why we had that there" (0:11:42); of Disnard's decrease, "I didn't prepare the budget last year, and I don't have any work papers or anything that tells me how the budget last year was built." (0:59:17). He adds that next year he will be able to explain the variances. RSA 189:29-a requires the school board to "establish a records retention and disposition schedule for all official records of the school district"; whether budget work papers are on Claremont's schedule, and for how long, is not in the record, so this is an observation. Read with the audit backlog reported on January 8 (January 8 page, flag 1), it describes a budget built on figures no one in the room could trace.

Sources: RSA 189:29-a (records retention schedule; 1983, 94:1, never amended)

OBSERVATION A citizen's complaint about the snow-removal contract could not be answered because the contract had not been read

Norm Saint Aubin says the snow-removal contractor won a five-year bid at about $29,500 a year plus cost of living, is required to clear the lots after each storm, and is not doing so, while district pickups plow at time and a half (1:47:11 to 1:51:40). The business administrator, under whom maintenance falls, says "I have not gone through the contract, so I'll have to find out." (1:50:18) and undertakes to report to the board (1:51:20). The page records the allegation as the speaker's; nothing in the record confirms or refutes it. A reviewer would want the contract, its scope, and the district's overtime records for the 2019-20 winter.

Sources: the recording (above); no statute verified for this flag

POSITIVE The budget hearing met the statutory date, presented the default budget, and heard every speaker before the board finalized the budget

RSA 40:13, II-a requires budget hearings "on or before the third Tuesday in January", and this hearing was held on that day. RSA 40:13, XI(a) requires the default budget to be "disclosed and presented for questions and discussion at the first budget hearing"; the business administrator presented it with each component (0:36:16 to 0:38:31) and board members answered a citizen's question about it (0:54:56). RSA 32:5, I contemplates that the body "after the conclusion of public testimony shall finalize the budget"; the chair kept testimony open until no one else rose (1:36:39), deferred an off-topic complaint to citizens' comments rather than cutting it off (1:32:58), and the board voted only after reopening citizens' comments in the regular meeting. Beyond the statutory minimum, the superintendent answered the night's main public concern by postponing the reorganization before the hearing began (0:02:27).

Sources: RSA 40:13, II-a and XI(a) (2019 codification); RSA 32:5, I (2019 codification)

POSITIVE The federal-funds policy the state found missing was checked with NHDOE and adopted within two weeks

On January 8 the board learned that an NHDOE compliance visit had found the district without policy DAF, and moved it to a second reading on condition that staff review it with the state (January 8 page, flag 3). Tonight the assistant superintendent reports that she met NHDOE, that the policy governs spending of federal funds only, and that once it is approved "I send it into the Doe in our audit is all set." (2:14:52); the board adopts it (2:15:11). The Uniform Guidance requires a recipient to "use its own documented procurement procedures"; closing the finding promptly, after the follow-up the board asked for, is the kind of practice the rule expects.

Sources: 2 CFR 200.318(a), 2019 edition (documented procurement procedures)

Appendix: source files

Official and public sources

Cablecast: SCHOOL BOARD meeting 1-21-20 (show 10704; run time from the Cablecast API not retrieved, the API refused requests from this environment on 2026-10-02, so the recording's extent is taken from the last dialogue row)
Google Drive: no hearing notice, 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.
Press (reporting, not an official record): Valley News, January 22, 2020, read 2026-10-02.

Project files

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

Dialogue/10704 SchoolBoard012120.mp4.CSV (756 attributed rows; the basis of this page)
Input/Videos/10704 SchoolBoard012120.mp4
Input/Transcripts/10704 SchoolBoard012120.mp4.json
Input/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 123
Scripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/10704 SchoolBoard012120.mp4.md (speaker attribution report)

Laws and rules cited on this page

RSA 91-A:2, II, 2019 codification (source note ends 2018, 244:1): minutes within five business days, with movers and seconders
RSA 40:13, II-a and XI(a), 2019 codification (source note ends 2019, 192:2): January hearing and posting calendar; default budget at the first hearing
RSA 32:5, I, 2019 codification (source note ends 2018, 246:1): finalize the budget after public testimony
RSA 189:29-a (1983, 94:1): records retention schedule
2 CFR 200.318(a), 2019 annual edition: documented procurement procedures