Participants
Everyone in the record, as named in the dialogue CSV. No agenda or minutes are available to confirm spellings; spellings follow the project roster, and the transcript's renderings are given where they differ. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped entry for the full text.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Frank Sprague | Chair | Presided. Supported the two-week remote period: "this isn't a moral issue. This is a this is a science issue." (1:01:39); "I want to make a decision on this tonight" (1:02:54). Announced the post-holiday motion as failing, then corrected himself (1:34:18, 1:34:26). Reported on the state school funding commission (1:52:28). Rendered Franks. Greg, Read spread. |
| Heather Whitney | Board member | Seconded the Goshen agreement (0:26:10). Argued that "noncompliance is noncompliance. It's not going to be time sensitive." (0:56:09) and that local case counts under 25 were not statistically meaningful (0:56:42); proposed a true break in place of the February and April vacations (0:57:49). Explained the motion to Lovett during the roll call (1:33:37). |
| Rebecca Zullo | Board member (remote) | Seconded the minutes and the tabling motion. Supported the remote period as "a proactive measure" (0:53:43); described families who would not travel (1:19:14). Asked about snow days and blizzard bags. Rendered Rebecca. Solo, Zola. |
| Michael Petrin | Board member | Moved the agenda (0:02:51) and the minutes; seconded the post-holiday motion (1:30:54). "If you're not comfortable sending your kids to school in the two weeks after Christmas break, then keep your kids home." (1:03:32); remote "has not been a good option" for his family. Rendered Michael. Petra, Michael. Pizza, Mr. Patron. |
| Jason Benware | Board member | Arrived late. Moved the Goshen agreement (0:26:00), the post-holiday motion (1:30:34), the tabling motion (1:50:51) and adjournment. "I have a fundamental problem with planning for people who will do what they're not supposed to do" (0:52:18). Relayed questions sent by others (0:26:59, 0:35:35). Rendered Jason. Benoit. |
| Carolyn Towle | Board member (remote) | "I will always air on the side of safety" (1:06:14); asked to hear from principals. Voted No on the post-holiday motion (1:31:59). Rendered Carol Ann 12, Carolyn Little, Carol and Paul. |
| Rob Lovett Jr. | Board member (remote) | Deferred his answer on the post-holiday roll call, asked about the motion's effect, and was then recorded as voting yes from what a member saw "On the screen" (1:34:13) (flag 1). Rendered Bob. Lovett, junior, Rob, Love and junior. |
| Michael Tempesta | Superintendent, SAU 6 | Answered the citizen's question (0:07:34). Presented the Goshen agreement (0:15:11) and the administration's recommendation of two weeks' remote learning after the break (0:47:56), and the second-semester recommendations (1:35:53). Rendered Mr. Temple. |
| Donna Magoon | Assistant Superintendent, SAU 6 | Reported two new positive cases (0:36:40); CDC quarantine guidance; explained the contact-tracing and notification process (1:56:49). Rendered Assistant Superintendent McGowan, Don. |
| Patricia Barry | Principal, Stevens High School | Remote (1:09:56): "we have 44% of our students who are remote", who get "one hour a week with their teacher"; "about 2 to 3 families a day are opting to pull their students out" (1:11:09). |
| Melissa Lewis | Principal, Disnard Elementary (first name and school from the roster) | Remote (1:07:44): coverage depends on "which of your staff members are out". |
| Dale Chenette | Principal, Bluff Elementary (medium confidence; the self-identification is garbled as a daily from bluff) | Remote (1:08:44): described a day with about eight staff members out. |
| Prescott Herzog | Student representative | Student report (0:10:17); described his own close-contact quarantine and said "I don't think the virus is spreading in the school" (0:13:58); after quarantine, "We we really fell behind in multiple classes" (1:04:49). |
| Mary Woodman | School district clerk and recording secretary | Called the attendance roll and every roll-call vote. |
| Jeff Small | Director of Technology, SAU 6 | Ran the slides and the online queue ("Jeff, can you help me spot them", 0:04:44); no attributed speech. Rendered Mr. Samuel, Mr. Smith. |
| Unidentified citizen | Citizens' comments (in the room; name not stated on the recording) | Asked why remote instruction was on the agenda when the district's matrix showed low transmission (0:06:01). Answered by the superintendent (flag 5). |
| Patrick Adrian | Member of the public (online) | Sent a chat message asking to ask a question after citizens' comments had closed; the chair declined (0:27:16). |
The student report names students of the month; this page does not repeat students' names.
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. The chair refers to "an agenda in front of us" (0:02:08) and amends it to add a brief item on a New Hampshire School Boards Association email about school funding. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped entry for the full text.
| Taken up | Item | Agenda text / disposition |
|---|
| 0:00:13 | Call to order, pledge, roll | Roll at 0:01:08; one member "You'll be late." |
| 0:02:08 | Agenda amended and approved | NHSBA school-funding item added under other business at Towle's prompting. Moved by Petrin (0:02:51); roll call (0:03:00). |
| 0:03:42 | Minutes of November 4, 2020 | Moved by Petrin as "the retreat minutes from November 2020", seconded by Zullo; roll call (0:04:07), audible answers Yes. |
| 0:04:44 | Citizens' comments | One speaker in the room on the reopening matrix, answered by the superintendent; closed at 0:09:53. |
| 0:09:53 | Student report | Prescott Herzog; question from Whitney on how students feel about the hybrid model. |
| 0:14:57 | Superintendent's report; Goshen tuition agreement | Motion by Benware "to, approve the tuition agreement with the Goshen School District" (0:26:00), second Whitney; roll call from 0:26:10; audible answers all Yes. The SAU 6 board was later told the Claremont vote was seven to nothing (flag 2). |
| 0:27:33 | Instructional options, second semester: post-holiday remote period | The administration recommends two weeks' remote learning after the Christmas break, January 4 to 15, returning January 19 (0:52:05). Benware moves that students "return back to school. As the calendar has stated, without a two week." "Period of remote learning after the Christmas holiday." (1:30:34); Petrin seconds. Roll call from 1:31:25; announced as failing (1:34:18), then as passing (1:34:26). The December 16 minutes correction records it as approved 4 to 3 (flag 1). |
| 1:35:53 | Instructional options, second semester: remaining recommendations | Remote synchronous middle and high school with hands-on exceptions; elementary unchanged; remote days in place of snow days, to be worked out with the union. Tabled to December 16 on Benware's motion (1:50:51), second Zullo; roll call from 1:51:14, not completed on the recording (flag 1). |
| 1:52:03 | Other business: NHSBA email on school funding | The chair's report on the state commission's findings. No action. |
| 1:56:34 | Other business: contact tracing | Magoon on how cases are verified and families notified. No action. |
| 2:05:15 | Adjournment | Moved by Benware, seconded by Whitney; roll call from 2:05:25. |
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 |
|---|
| 0:05:21 | Citizen asks about the matrix | The chair first says comments are "not to do with anything that's on the agenda", then lets the question proceed. The citizen: "why is the possibility of remote instruction on the agenda today if the matrix stated that in-person level of community transmission is low" (0:06:54). Tempesta: "we're teetering right at the, 15% student absenteeism and where our purpose tonight isn't, isn't to say it's eminent" (0:07:49). | POSITIVE |
| 0:10:17 | Student report | Culinary students "made and delivered 60 pies for Thanksgiving dinners"; the quiz bowl team qualified for the Granite State Challenge; "24 students submit 51 applications" on apply day (0:11:13). Herzog on the hybrid model: "I think that we've done a very good job with curtailing the spread within the schools" (0:13:58), but teachers are "being sidelined" (0:14:22). | |
| 0:15:11 | Goshen tuition agreement | Goshen had separated from Newport and needed an anchor school; "the actual contract is under negotiation" (0:16:14). Tuition "would be 14,100 for an elementary student and 15,300 for each, middle school or high school student" (0:18:53); "This is by no means a done deal." (0:19:22); possible revenue "between 200 and 3000 $300,000" (0:20:26). Tempesta had run the particulars "by the the Finance Board and Budget Review Board" that day (0:17:05). Whitney asks about bus capacity (0:24:18). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:26:00 | Goshen agreement approved | Motion by Benware, second Whitney; roll call, audible answers Yes. Benware then relays that "Patrick. Adrian said the chat message saying he wanted to ask a question"; the chair: "the issue has gone by. Okay. He can if he wants. If it's for the newspaper he can contact someone directly." (0:27:16). | POSITIVE |
| 0:27:45 | COVID-19 data and strain | Sullivan County at "10.9 cases" (0:29:09); student absence at "14, eight, six or something like that" on Monday, coming down (0:32:29); "staff absences have been about 8 or 9% over the last three days" (0:33:33). Magoon: "today a letter went home to families because we had two more positive cases" (0:36:40). "43% of the students at Stephens High School are remote" (0:45:26). | |
| 0:47:56 | Administration's post-holiday proposal | "not everyone is consistently following the rules" (0:49:11); "we feel it would be safer for the whole school community to go two weeks remote, after that" (0:49:43); "coming back on the 19th after MLK day" (0:52:05). | |
| 0:52:18 | Debate | Benware: "making decisions that punitive affect people who do the right thing." Zullo: "I feel like it's a punishment to those of us who do make the right decision" (0:53:43). Whitney: "noncompliance is noncompliance" (0:56:09). Sprague: "I don't want to put this off for two weeks." (1:02:54). Petrin: "keep your kids home" if uncomfortable (1:03:32). Towle: safety first (1:06:14). | |
| 1:07:28 | Principals on coverage | Lewis (1:07:44), Chenette (1:09:04) and Barry (1:09:56): "those students get one hour a week with their teacher"; "if the if the break can mitigate that so that we can come back fully sooner. I think that would be great." (1:12:29). | |
| 1:15:37 | Why is the high school so remote? | Petrin asks; Tempesta: "we have students who are out in the community working sometimes many hours helping their families out through the crisis" (1:16:13). Whitney: would educators be in school during a remote period? "Yes, yes they would." (1:18:09). | |
| 1:19:14 | Further debate | Zullo: "I can think of four families, myself included, who are not. We're not rule breakers". Chair to a member of the public: "So we don't typically take public input during our deliberations. Sorry." (1:27:58). Whitney on UNH testing data (1:28:10). | |
| 1:30:34 | Motion: no post-holiday remote period | Benware moves; Petrin seconds. Roll call (1:31:25): answers "Yes, yes." (1:31:36) and No (1:31:47) unlabeled; Lovett: "I'm back to me in a moment."; Towle No (1:31:59); Petrin I yes. (1:32:00); no answer transcribed after the chair's name (1:32:07). Lovett asks about the motion; Whitney: "So, Rob, there's not an option to just switch to remote." (1:33:37). Chair: "We don't know what you voted Rob."; a member: "Yes. On the screen." (1:34:13). Chair: "So the motion does not the motion does not pass." Benware: "That passed." Chair: "Oh did pass. He said yes okay okay." (1:34:26); "Okay. So confused." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:35:53 | Second-semester recommendations | Middle and high school "to go full remote synchronous" (1:37:35) with hands-on and special education exceptions (1:38:03); elementary unchanged (1:38:59); remote days instead of snow days, which caused "some ripples amongst the, the, the, the teaching staff" and must be worked through with the union (1:39:33). Zullo on snow days and blizzard bags. | |
| 1:50:51 | Tabled to December 16 | Benware: "I'd like to make a motion to table this discussion. And for two weeks until we come back on the 16th". Roll call: Benware, Zullo, Lovett and Petrin Yes; the clerk calls Towle (1:52:01) and the chair moves on (1:52:03) with no further answers or result transcribed. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:52:03 | State school funding commission | "a committee would be formed to look at ways of bridging the what I would call the opportunity gap" (1:52:28); "76% of the towns in New Hampshire are negatively impacted by the current system" per presentations the chair attributes to Belinsky and Tobin (1:53:57); "my concern is that the majority's in the House and the Senate have changed" (1:54:26). | |
| 1:56:49 | Contact tracing explained | Magoon: "people are saying that we wait to contact parents, and I just wanted to assure everybody that that's not necessarily the case." Petrin on his daughter's experience: "very effective and quick communication" (2:00:40). | |
| 2:05:15 | Adjournment | Roll call; "Thank you everyone." (2:06:29). | |
Items flagged for review
Flags are a reviewer's aid generated by comparing the meeting against the state law in force on December 2, 2020, including the Governor's COVID-19 emergency orders then in effect. They are not findings of violation, and nothing here is legal advice. Each flag cites the rule it rests on; where no verified rule applies, the flag says so and is recorded as an observation. Five flags follow, ordered by severity.
OBSERVATION The decisive 4 to 3 vote was announced as failing, one remote vote was read off a screen, and the draft minutes then recorded the wrong outcome
On Benware's motion that students return as calendared with no two-week remote period after the Christmas break, the roll call (1:31:25) was interrupted when Rob Lovett Jr., participating remotely, deferred his answer and asked what the motion meant. After Whitney explained it (1:33:37), the chair said "We don't know what you voted Rob."; a member answered "That's a yes I believe." and another "Yes. On the screen." (1:34:13). The chair announced "the motion does not pass" (1:34:18), was corrected by Benware, and said "Oh did pass. He said yes okay okay." (1:34:26). Two answers on the roll are unlabeled in the transcript and the chair's own answer is not transcribed; the individual votes cannot be read off the recording. Two weeks later, as Petrin read them aloud on the December 16 recording, the draft minutes recorded the motion as "defeated, by four against three", and Petrin had them corrected to "approved by a vote of 4 to 3" (December 16 page, flag 5). RSA 91-A:2, III(c) as it read in 2020 required that a remotely participating member "shall be audible or otherwise discernable to the public"; a vote seen on a screen by members in the room may not have been discernible to viewers. The later tabling roll call (1:51:14) also ends without Towle's answer or an announced result. The outcome itself was corrected before the minutes were approved, which is why this is an observation.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, III(c), (e) (2019 codification; source note ends 2018, 244:1, in force until 2023, 188:1): remote members audible or discernible to the public; all votes by roll call; dialogue rows at 1:31:25 to 1:34:32; the December 16, 2020 recording, show 11106 (minutes correction, linked above).
OBSERVATION The board approved a Goshen tuition agreement whose text was still under negotiation and was not public
The superintendent told the board that "the actual contract is under negotiation" and that he would speak only "to the public portions" (0:16:14); "This is by no means a done deal." (0:19:22). The board then voted to "approve the tuition agreement with the Goshen School District" (0:26:00). On December 16 the superintendent said the signed copies were still to come "and then we're going to post it online", and that the tuition figures were "still negotiating". The recording does not show the board seeing a final text before approving it, or delegating the finishing of terms to anyone. Tuition figures ($14,100 elementary, $15,300 secondary per pupil) and projections were presented publicly, which mitigates. The superintendent described the anchor-school relationship as one Goshen was "bound to have in the state of New Hampshire"; that characterization and the statute behind it are not verified here. No rule is identified as requiring a final text before approval; the point for a reader is what exactly was approved on December 2.
Sources: no verified statutory rule; dialogue rows at 0:15:41, 0:16:14, 0:19:22 and 0:26:00; December 16, 2020 page and SAU 6, December 10, 2020 page (later reports on the agreement).
OBSERVATION No agenda, notice or minutes for this meeting are posted online, though minutes were kept and corrected
MAP.md records that neither district Drive share holds anything before July 2022 (checked 9/26/26). The recording shows the board approving its November 4 minutes (0:03:42), and the December 16 recording shows these December 2 minutes being corrected and approved fourteen days after the meeting. In 2020, RSA 91-A:2, II required minutes "open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after the meeting", recording "The names of the members who made or seconded each motion". Whether the draft was available within five business days cannot be tested, and neither can the public-access notice required by Emergency Order #12. The superintendent said his presentation was on the district website (0:07:34); it is not among the district's current online files. The limb of the project's missing-records rule applied is the online-availability observation.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (2022 codification; source note ends 2018, 244:1, so the text in force in 2020); Input/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md section 133.
POSITIVE Votes in this hybrid meeting were taken by roll call
With Zullo, Towle and Lovett participating remotely, the clerk called the roll on the agenda (0:03:00), the November 4 minutes (0:04:07), the Goshen agreement (0:26:10), the post-holiday motion (1:31:25), the tabling motion (1:51:14) and adjournment (2:05:25). RSA 91-A:2, III(e) as it read in 2020 required that "All votes taken during such a meeting shall be by roll call vote" whenever a member participated remotely; Emergency Order #12 waived only the physical-quorum requirement, on public-access conditions. The roll calls' execution was imperfect (flag 1), but the practice was followed throughout.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, III(e) (2019 codification, in force until 2023, 188:1); Emergency Order #12 (March 23, 2020, under Executive Order 2020-04).
POSITIVE A citizen's question about the reopening matrix was answered on the spot
A resident at the microphone asked why remote instruction was on the agenda when the district's own matrix showed low transmission (0:06:54). Although the chair had just described citizens' comments as not for agenda items, he let the question stand and offered the superintendent the choice to answer "now or wait" (0:07:24); the superintendent answered immediately with the absenteeism and staffing data behind the proposal (0:07:49). No statute required a public comment period at a New Hampshire school board meeting in 2020: RSA 189:74 was enacted by 2022, 333:1, effective September 6, 2022. The chair did decline a later chat request from Patrick Adrian after comments had closed (0:27:16) and a remark from the public during deliberation (1:27:58), consistent with his stated practice.
Sources: RSA 189:74 (source: 2022, 333:1, eff. Sept. 6, 2022): school board public comment period, not in force in 2020.
Appendix: source files
Official and public sources
- Cablecast show 11056, "SCHOOL BOARD live on 12/2/20": 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, notice, slides, matrix, Goshen agreement or minutes for this meeting were located.
- Related pages: SAU 6 Board, December 10, 2020 (Goshen votes reported), December 16, 2020 (these minutes corrected; second semester continued) and January 6, 2021 (the board supports a January 8 to 19 remote period after all).
Project files
Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.
Dialogue/11056 SchoolBoard120220.mp4.CSV (529 attributed rows; the basis of this page)Input/Videos/11056 SchoolBoard120220.mp4Input/Transcripts/11056 SchoolBoard120220.mp4.jsonScripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/11056 SchoolBoard120220.mp4.mdInput/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 133
Laws and rules cited on this page
- New Hampshire statutes, as in force on December 2, 2020. RSA 91-A:2, II and III (minutes; remote participation, public discernibility and roll-call votes; 2019 codification, source note ends 2018, 244:1). RSA 189:74 (school board public comment period), cited only to show it post-dates this meeting (2022, 333:1).
- Emergency orders. Emergency Order #12 pursuant to Executive Order 2020-04 (March 23, 2020), effective for the duration of the state of emergency, which lapsed at midnight on June 11, 2021 (NHPR, June 10, 2021, reporting).