Participants
Everyone in the record. Speaker names follow the dialogue file; the minutes list floor speakers by name and ward in speaking order and several of their names differ from the file's ASR-derived labels. Both are given. Where the dialogue file leaves a voter unidentified and the minutes name someone at the corresponding point, the correspondence is stated as probable, not established.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Charlene Lovett | Presiding officer ("acting ... moderator") | Read the rules of procedure (five minutes for proponents, two per speaker, written and signed amendments), took the 2021 minutes, recognized speakers, ran two secret ballots and declared the results. Recognized SAU administrative assistant Melissa Small for organizing the session. |
| Frank Sprague | Chair, Claremont School Board | Introduced the board, the clerk and the moderator. Presented Articles 4, 5 and 6: tax impacts of $0.21, $0.04 and $0.07 per thousand, and the administrators' agreement allowing "an extra, I believe it's $5,000" to close a principal hire. "If you're wondering why I'm still up here, is on all three bargaining groups." Per the minutes, noted the amendments "will not change the default budget" and moved a secret ballot. |
| Heather Whitney | Vice Chair | Recognized to speak to Article 1 (election of officers), per the recording and the minutes; her words are not separately transcribed. |
| Nicholas Stone | Board member | Recognized with the superintendent and business administrator to present Article 2; the voice that reads the article is unidentified in the dialogue file. |
| Rob Lovett Jr. | Board member | Moved to restrict reconsideration of Article 2 at 2:16:18; per the minutes also moved Article 2 as amended, seconded by Horsky. Rendered Mr. Levitt. |
| Steven Horsky; Michael Petrin; Joshua Lambert | Board members | Introduced by the chair (Steve Gorski, Mike, Petra). Per the minutes Horsky spoke for Article 3 and Petrin explained the board's half-time director decision; in the dialogue file those passages are unidentified. |
| Mary Woodman | School district clerk | Introduced by the chair (Mary Goodman). |
| Richard Seaman | Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and HR | Presented the budget: a proposed $37,243,825, estimated total tax rate of $22.85, a reduction of $1.68 from the prior year. Explained why the default equals the budget: "if you are making any reductions in the proposed budget, those reductions have to carry into the default budget." Clarified the counselor amendment: "It's increasing from the current 0.5 to a 1.0". |
| Michael Tempesta | Superintendent, SAU 6 (low-to-medium confidence) | Answered Crawford on the visioning work and the default budget; identification rests on content. |
| Matt Upton | District counsel, Drummond Woodsum (medium confidence) | On whether an amendment binds the spending: "There's a line of cases that talks about with special war miracles [warrant articles]" and "I'd have to do the research". Per the minutes, also advised that five voters must sign a secret-ballot request and that the full board, not the budget committee, recommends the budget. |
| Candace Crawford | Voter, Ward 2 | Cited graduation and proficiency figures for Stevens High School and asked why the board recommended a budget equal to the default; seconded the counselor amendment (per the minutes). |
| Jason Benware | Voter, Ward 1; former board member | Moved approval of the 2021 minutes; urged turnout for the warrant articles; asked whether added money would actually be spent on the director. Rendered Jason. Ben, we're and Jason van Rooyen. Assisted with the ballot count (per the minutes). |
| Andy (the minutes: Andy Lafreniere) | Voter, Ward 3; vice chair, Claremont Development Authority | Supported technical-center growth and opposed reducing the director. |
| Gary Merchant | Voter, Ward 2 (per the minutes) | Questioned the default-budget arithmetic and whether added money could be transferred to other lines; assisted with the ballot count (per the minutes). Rendered Gary Martin and Mr. Martin. |
| Allen Damren | Voter, Ward 1 | Moved both amendments: $61,973 to account "100.3, 5.24, 10.11, 0.5 and five zeros" (the minutes: 100.35.2410.110.5.00000, director position) and $87,290 for a technical-center guidance counselor. Rendered Helen Damron, Mr. Darmon, Mr. Dammann. |
| McKean (the minutes: Matt Bean) | Voter, Ward 1; president of the paraprofessionals' association | Supported the first amendment after going "line by line through this budget"; spoke for Article 4 "as the president of the paraprofessional association". The minutes name the Ward 1 paraprofessional president "Matt Bean"; "McKean" is the dialogue file's rendering. |
| Derek Bergman (the minutes: Derrick / Derek Ferland) | Voter, Ward 3 | Supported both amendments ("This is about the system"). The dialogue file's surname comes from the ASR self-identification; the minutes spell the Ward 3 speaker Derrick Ferland and Derek Ferland. |
| Bonnie Miles | Voter, Ward 2 (elected to the board in March 2022) | Read from the state's Perkins approval letter for the technical center and supported the amendment. Rendered born and Miles. |
| Tom Gallagher | Voter, Ward 1 | New resident: "the will of the people is what's important". |
| Tom Kinnear (the minutes: Tom Connair) | Voter, Ward 2 | Spoke on the Claremont school-funding litigation and supported the amendment; the minutes quote him: "education isn't just a nice thing to have". |
| David (the minutes: probably David Messier, Ward 1) | Voter | Against asking a professional to work half time without benefits. |
| Unidentified voters | Several speakers | A technical-center instructor who has seen "a CTE director for probably well over 35 years" and who reported enrollment in introductory classes; a voter asking whether the full board or the budget committee decides (the minutes: Mimi Rhines, Ward 1); a voter on the city's image (the minutes: Kyle Messier, Ward 1); a voter on the "unjust property tax system" (the minutes attribute this point to Matt Bean); the mover of the question on the second amendment. The minutes also name Pam Ruest and Scott Pope (Ward 2). |
Agenda
No posted agenda or warrant is online for this session; the order below follows the warrant articles as the moderator took them up and the headings of the minutes, whose wording is quoted as the minutes'. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped entry for the full text.
| Taken up | Item | Disposition |
|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Call to order; introductions; rules | Call to order not in the dialogue file. Introductions at 0:01:56; rules of procedure read from 0:03:14. |
| 0:05:08 | Minutes of the 2021 deliberative session | Approved on Benware's motion. The moderator refers to "February 1st"; both minutes say "previous minutes of 2/4/2021". |
| 0:06:46 | Article 1: election of school district officials | Whitney spoke; advanced on a voice vote. |
| 0:07:43 | Article 2: operating budget, $37,243,825 | Amendment 1, Damren: add $61,973 (technical-center director to full time): secret ballot, "six no, 53 yeses" (1:47:28). Amendment 2, Damren, Crawford second (per the minutes): add $87,290 (technical-center guidance counselor to full time): secret ballot, 48 yes and 9 no per the minutes, heard on the recording as "48 to none" (2:15:28). Article 2 as amended advanced (Lovett motion, Horsky second, per the minutes). Reconsideration restricted on Lovett's motion. |
| 2:16:45 | Article 3: secretaries' collective bargaining agreement | Advanced on a voice vote. |
| 2:18:38 | Article 4: paraprofessionals' agreement | Advanced on a voice vote; tax impact "$0.21 on the thousand". |
| 2:22:18 | Article 5: maintenance workers' agreement | Advanced on a voice vote; "$0.04 on 1000". |
| 2:24:31 | Article 6: administrators' agreement | Advanced on a voice vote; "$0.07 on the thousand". |
| 2:27:19 | Closing | Moderator closes the session. |
Discussion timeline
Chronological, from the dialogue CSV. Each time is the start of the cited row, 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 |
|---|
| 0:01:56 | Introductions | The chair introduces the board, "our clerk, Mary Goodman, and our acting tonight, moderator Charlene Lovett." | MEDIUM |
| 0:03:14 | Rules of procedure | "Proponents of an article will be first, and we'll begin in five minutes to speak. Debate will then be limited to two minutes per speaker." "Amendments must be running into the moderator, signed by person making the motion and the person seconding emotion." | |
| 0:05:08 | 2021 minutes | "In 2021, we held two district meetings, and we'll need to approve the minutes." Benware moves; approved. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:08:15 | Article 2 read | "totaling $37,243,825, should be defeated. The default budget shall be $37,243,825". | OBSERVATION |
| 0:09:22 | Budget presentation | Seaman walks the cost centers: debt service down $10,994; the technical center "a reduction of $181,000" including a vacant nurse position; a local tax rate of $21.62 and a total of $22.85: "We're seeing a reduction of $1.68." | |
| 0:21:57 | How the default is built | "we take last year's budget, we eliminate any one time expenditures. We include any reductions that are included in this year's budget. We, eliminate any growth". "our budget this year does not include really growth". | OBSERVATION |
| 0:25:01 | Crawford | "the graduation rate at Stevens High School is 79%, compared to a rate of 91.8% for all of New Hampshire". "why is the Claremont School Board recommending a 2023 budget that is the same amount as the default budget". Seaman: "a vote for the budget is a vote. It is a positive vote." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:42:22 | Case for a half-time director | An unidentified speaker (the minutes attribute the board's position to Petrin): "the needs of the tech center are supported by a 0.5 director" and "This is a one year budget right now for next year." | |
| 0:44:37 | Development Authority | Andy (Ward 3): "concerns over the proposed budget changes leading to the reduction of a full time director within the facility". | |
| 0:48:32 | Default-budget dispute | Seaman to Merchant: "if you are making any reductions in the proposed budget, those reductions have to carry into the default budget." Merchant: "that logic doesn't make sense to me." Seaman: "There's confusion across the state on calculation of the" default. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:52:07 | Amendment 1: $61,973 | Damren: "counterproductive by cutting off the head and cutting that the head of that school back to a half time." McKean (the minutes: Matt Bean): "I'm awake until after midnight, going line by line through this budget." No one speaks against. | |
| 0:59:41 | History of the post | An instructor: "we have had a CTE director for probably well over 35 years." | |
| 1:01:53 | Can voters earmark? | "Can we can we earmark where can amendment earmark where the money is spent". Answer: "ultimately, that's a decision for the school board", and "Any decision of the full school board would have to happen in public". Benware: "if they choose not to spend it, they don't have to spend it." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:11:52 | Voices for the amendment | Bergman (the minutes: Ferland): "This is about the system." Miles reads the state's Perkins approval letter. Gallagher: "the will of the people is what's important, not the decisions that you made outside those doors." | |
| 1:26:59 | Secret ballot 1 | "You're going to need five voters to sign." "Requesting a secret ballot." The moderator explains the yes/no ballot and the white cards; counters are named. Result at 1:47:28: "So six no, 53 yeses. So the amendment passes." | POSITIVE |
| 1:48:19 | Kinnear | "the Claremont School District. Has had the Supreme Court interpret our Constitution as delineating education as a fundamental right." | |
| 1:52:07 | Amendment 2: $87,290 | "To add $87,290" "for the position of guidance counselor." A voter asks whether it changes the default (per the minutes, the chair answered that it does not). Seaman: "It's increasing from the current 0.5 to a 1.0 guidance counselor". | OBSERVATION |
| 1:59:31 | Transfers; counsel | Merchant: could the administration "internally transfer that money from that line item to another one"? Upton: a process with a public hearing, "a line of cases" on special articles, "I'd have to do the research and just didn't know that that was an amendment is going to be proposed tonight." | OBSERVATION |
| 2:02:13 | Secret ballot 2 | "I'd like to move the question." "We want a written ballot." Result at 2:15:28: "So the amendment passed 48 to none." The minutes record "48 yes, 9 no"; the recording's none reads as a garble of nine. | OBSERVATION POSITIVE |
| 2:16:18 | Reconsideration restricted | Lovett: "I'd like to make a motion that we restrict reconsideration of war. Article two". Passed: "There's a couple of oppositions". | POSITIVE |
| 2:18:49 | Bargaining articles | Paraprofessionals: "$0.21 on the thousand"; association president: "I didn't get everything I wanted, but that's okay." Maintenance: "$0.04 on 1000". Administrators: "$0.07 on the thousand" and a hiring incentive for three new principals. All advanced on voice votes. | |
| 2:27:19 | Close | The moderator thanks the voters and closes the session. | |
Items flagged for review
Flags are a reviewer's aid generated by comparing the session against the state law in force on February 9, 2022. A deliberative session is a meeting of the voters, so school-board rules (public-comment periods, nonpublic sessions, roll calls) do not apply to it; RSA chapter 40 as extended to school districts does. 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.
MEDIUM The session was presided over by an "acting" moderator, and neither the recording nor either set of minutes shows how she came to hold the office
The board chair introduced "our acting tonight, moderator Charlene Lovett" (0:01:56); both sets of minutes style her "Charlene Lovett (moderator)". The district moderator presides at district meetings (RSA 197:19). If the moderator is absent, RSA 197:20 provides that the district clerk "shall act as moderator of any meeting until a moderator pro tempore shall be chosen", and if the office is vacant RSA 671:33, III provides that "until a replacement is chosen, the school district clerk shall serve as moderator or shall appoint a moderator pro tempore." The school board has no power to fill a moderator vacancy (RSA 197:26). The clerk was present and introduced; nothing on the recording or in the minutes records the clerk presiding, the meeting choosing a moderator pro tempore, or the clerk appointing one, and the elected moderator is not named anywhere in the record.
Severity. MEDIUM rather than the HIGH given on the February 3, 2024 page, and the divergence is deliberate: here the dialogue file begins at 0:01:23, after the moderator is already presiding, so an appointment or choice made in the opening minute cannot be excluded; and the only source for "acting" is the chair's passing word, whereas in 2024 the district's own agenda, rules and minutes all used a title the law does not recognize. If no statutory route was followed, the defect is the same one.
Sources: RSA 197:19 (1979, 321:6); RSA 197:20 (1963, 120:5, unamended); RSA 671:33, III (source note ends 2021, 91:318, eff. July 1, 2021, in force on this date); RSA 197:26.
OBSERVATION Two sets of minutes, filed four months apart, both prepared by the SAU's administrative assistant; they differ from the recording on a date and a tally, and name speakers the recording cannot
RSA 197:20 makes the district clerk responsible: "The clerk shall keep a true record of all the doings of each meeting". Both documents are "submitted by Melissa Small", the SAU administrative assistant; nothing in either shows the clerk's review. They were filed in two different packet folders (July 20 and November 3, 2022) with small textual differences. Against the recording: the minutes approve "previous minutes of 2/4/2021" where the moderator says "February 1st" (0:05:48); and the second ballot is "48 yes, 9 no" in the minutes against the moderator's "48 to none" (2:15:28), most likely an ASR rendering of "nine". The minutes' great value is that they name floor speakers and wards the recording loses, which is how several voters on this page can be named at all. Recorded as an observation: the statute does not forbid the clerk from using a drafter, and the date and tally differences are small.
Sources: RSA 197:20; minutes (July packet); minutes (November packet).
OBSERVATION A default budget equal to the proposed budget left voters no cheaper alternative, and the money the voters added cannot follow into the default
Article 2 set both figures at $37,243,825. Under RSA 40:13, IX(b) the default is last year's operating budget adjusted for debt service, contracts and legal obligations, "reduced by one-time expenditures" "and by salaries and benefits of positions that have been eliminated in the proposed budget." The business administrator's account at 0:48:32, that the proposed budget's reductions "have to carry into the default budget", is consistent with that eliminated-positions clause: a budget that only cuts and meets contracts will produce a default at or near its own level. Residents did not find this intuitive (Crawford at 0:26:28: "Why should voters go to the effort to go and vote if it doesn't mean anything one way or the other?"), and he conceded "There's confusion across the state". The two amendments raised the operating budget by $149,263; RSA 40:13, XI(b) provides of the default that "This amount shall not be amended by the legislative body," so if voters defeated the amended budget in March the added positions would fall away. Consistent with the statute; recorded because the equality of the two figures was the session's most-asked question.
Sources: RSA 40:13, IX(b) and XI(b) (last amended 2019, 192:2, eff. July 10, 2019; in force on this date).
OBSERVATION Voters added money for two named positions, but counsel told them the amendment does not bind how it is spent and that he would have to research the point
Both amendments were argued as restoring specific posts, but the article is a bottom-line appropriation. The answer from the floor at 1:02:17 was "ultimately, that's a decision for the school board"; district counsel at 2:00:25 described "a line of cases" on money moved into special warrant articles and said "I'd have to do the research". Benware put the consequence plainly at 1:05:59: "if they choose not to spend it, they don't have to spend it." No provision was cited on the night and none is verified here, so this is the speakers' characterization. What happened next is on the record: on April 6, 2022 a resident asked whether the director's post would be fully funded, and a board member asked whether counselor positions in the ESSER plan were the money voters had put back at this session.
Sources: the recording at the times linked above. No verified rule applies.
POSITIVE Both contested amendments were decided by secret ballot on a written five-voter request, with the procedure explained, and reconsideration was restricted as the statute allows
RSA 40:4-a (incorporated at a deliberative session by RSA 40:13, IV) lets five voters present request "in writing prior to a vote" that a vote be taken by secret written ballot, and then "the moderator shall conduct the vote by secret 'yes-no' ballot". On the recording the request is made and signed before each vote (1:27:08, 2:02:39), the moderator explains the yes/no question and the colored cards, counters are named, and each result is declared. RSA 40:10 allows the meeting "at any time during a meeting, and without notice in the warrant" to restrict reconsideration, and applies to "school district meetings under RSA 197"; the meeting did so for Article 2 at 2:16:18. Both amendments changed only a dollar amount, which RSA 40:13, IV(c) expressly permits.
Sources: RSA 40:4-a (2006, 117:1); RSA 40:10, I and V (1996, 64:1); RSA 40:13, IV.
Appendix — source files
Official and public sources
Project files (the dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the pages)
Dialogue/12204 SchoolBoardDeliberative020922.mp4.CSV: dialogue file, 371 rows.Input/Videos/12204 SchoolBoardDeliberative020922.mp4; Input/Transcripts/12204 SchoolBoardDeliberative020922.mp4.json.Input/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 162.Scripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/12204 SchoolBoardDeliberative020922.mp4.md; Scripts/roster_2015_2023.md.
Laws and rules cited on this page