| 0:04:53 | State representative's comments | "I am serving on education committee. I'm the only one of the five who is on education committee." About 125 education bills; tomorrow "the main event is a hearing on the bill that proposes to repeal the Divisive Concepts Law." (0:06:18); "I'm representing nine towns." (0:07:06). A member points to the School Boards Association's legislative emails (0:07:36). | |
| 0:12:43 | Donation hearing | $10,000 from the Byrne Foundation for "the scoreboard and some work to to install that scoreboard." (0:13:26), for baseball and soccer at the middle school; "it actually looks like he asked for 6000." (0:12:56). No public comment (0:13:57). | OBSERVATION POSITIVE |
| 0:15:14 | Budget goal | Chair: the board negotiated "what we think is a very substantial contract that will keep teachers at all levels". A subcommittee member: "the percentage isn't that's generated by the administration. Not not the budget committee." (0:16:37). | |
| 0:17:25 | Baseline budget never received | Horsky: "I had requested several times and still get to this day have received a bare bones budget of what's obligated state, federal, and contractually." He questions the truancy officer, "And it's 182, 192." (0:19:00), against a school resource officer at "around 60,000" (0:19:34). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:22:43 | Budget by location | Seaman: the teachers' agreement, "which has a cost of approximately $1 million between the salary increase and the benefits", is inside the budget (0:23:09): "But it's embedded within our fiscal 24 proposed as requested by the Sri." [SREA] (0:23:48); see the January 9 page. Tech center: "is a recommendation is to add two new staff members for two new programs." (0:25:32). Pre-K: "the approach for next year is to take that program just back to identified" children (0:25:54). Utilities: "increase year over year at 60% on electrical and 60% on all of our other fuels" (0:27:08). The FY23 budget's "extraordinary need grant, 482,000" and $264,000 of contract articles do not recur (0:27:44). Technology "down by almost $78,000." (0:29:08). | |
| 0:29:43 | Totals | $38,139,852 to $39,325,854, "an increase of 1.186 million, or 3.1%." (packet summary: $1,186,002, 3.11%). | |
| 0:30:36 | Revenue | Sprague on adequacy aid: "We're still losing almost 700 K there in that." (0:31:15) (packet: $14,425,527 to $13,734,077). Fund balance to reduce taxes is "roughly 1% of the budget." (0:33:20). Statewide property tax "went from 123 up to 144, or 1.23%, up to 1.44%." (0:34:43), charged on an equalized value that is "almost $1 billion." (0:35:11). "The district assessment increasing by $1.456 million." and "We can control the budget. We can't control the revenue." (0:36:58). | |
| 0:37:53 | Tax rate and default budget | Assessed valuation fell to $747 million (0:38:39); "So our total tax rate. Is $25.84 or up $2.26." (0:38:56). The default budget removes "the teacher's contract, which is $1 million, three one 1,002,364" and the two tech positions (0:40:03), yet "even with a lower expense budget, our tax rate goes up $0.63." (0:40:32). "No warrant articles as of now are being recommended." (0:41:00). | |
| 0:41:19 | Default as a floor | Whitney: "So so what you're essentially saying is there's no way for us to level fund this in any way." (0:43:24). Seaman: the recommended budget will always carry the $1 million the default removes. | |
| 0:45:11 | Protecting the contract | Whitney: economic stress on families; "if the budget is voted down, the teachers do not get that." (0:45:57). | |
| 0:46:40 | Duplicate teacher-education program | Whitney, after calling Keene State: "the Newport Tech is putting forth a teacher education program." (0:47:16); "do we want to support a duplicate program?" (0:48:10). Petrin, who called Newport's director: "I can't support the program of teacher education here in Claremont when it's happening in new, when it's ready to go in, happening in Newport" (0:50:24). Horsky: the Visioning Committee was left to "then to get blindsided at the 11th hour when it comes to trying to fund them" (0:53:04); "You're looking at almost a 10% increase on the rate, guys." (0:53:46). | |
| 0:56:40 | Business and entrepreneurship course | Pratt: one business teacher; a new state requirement means "personal finance would be required for graduation." (0:59:07). Petrin: "Newport offers a business management course." (1:01:24). Whitney and Lambert favor the entrepreneurship course, possibly taught by the new finance teacher (1:03:54, 1:09:18). Horsky: "Are we going to keep putting the cart before the horse, or are we going to start having the horse pull the cart?" (1:08:27). Sprague: "It's a half time position. It's not a full time." (1:12:36). | |
| 1:13:28 | Is a vote needed tonight? | Skillen asks. Petrin: "We need to vote on a dollar amount to move forward to the deliberative session with the recommendation, with recommendations." (1:13:42), at the hearing. Skillen: "we don't need to spend this $106,000 to have one in Claremont." (1:13:56) and asks about "Other professional educational services. What is that for? It's a $50,000 increase." (1:15:10), now grant-funded. | |
| 1:16:43 | Level fund or level rate | Horsky: "I think that ideally level rate would be ideal, but I think level fund might be passable with the public" (1:17:36). Seaman: "300,000 is $0.50 approximately." (1:20:26). Tempesta on the finance teacher: "it's statutorily required to have that that and it will survive a default as well." (1:22:03). FY22 rate: "was approved at $24.53." (1:22:26). | |
| 1:24:17 | Line items, special education | Skillen: "what is this $35,000 increase for district wide board, school board, professional services?" Nester on preschool special education: "There's not a cap." (1:25:43). | |
| 1:27:05 | Special-education reserve | Seaman: "there's currently 650,000" (1:27:14). A member suggests "going to be taking any of that five and put 250 000 towards special this year" (1:27:54). Whitney: "I think the wording when we created that reserve fund was specifically to create programing, not to offset one time costs." (1:28:56). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:31:21 | ESSER accounting | Horsky: "those free monies totaled over 10 million." Seaman: "Third Esser Grant, was for 6.4 million. 6 million of that has been already encumbered." and "About a million and a half of that 6 million has not yet been spent." (1:32:26). Horsky: "I've asked for a baseline budget that tells me exactly what we need to spend without discretionary. Didn't get it." (1:33:22); "I'm going to conclude because I do not have a vote tonight." (1:33:50). He then leaves. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:34:52 | Setting a target | Whitney proposes the FY22 rate, $24.53; Skillen works it to about a $0.94 increase and asks the administration to say whether it is achievable (1:36:54, 1:39:46); Seaman: roughly $700,000 to cut (1:41:20), and "Yes, I think that can be done between now." (1:41:53). Removing the two tech programs lowers the rate: "The tax rate reduces by $0.28." (1:42:23); the minutes say twenty-six cents. | MEDIUM |
| 1:42:42 | Public comment opened | Petrin: "I'm gonna open things, open discussion up for public comments." Skillen to voters: "if we don't pass this budget, that contract is not passed" (1:45:00). Seaman: "without a contract starting on July 1st of of 2023, teacher salaries do not change at all." (1:46:32). Whitney: "This, this, this request for budget cuts is pro teacher." (1:47:46). | POSITIVE |
| 1:48:04 | Direction without a vote | A member asks whether a vote is needed. Petrin: "It's just a right. Yeah. It's just a directive to administration." (1:48:08). Seaman restates: "we've decided that positions as it relates to the tech center we're bringing out as of right now" and "So approximately proximately the $0.94." (1:48:12). Petrin: "I think we probably comfortable under a dollar." (1:48:40). | MEDIUM |
| 1:49:03 | Citizens on the budget | Crawford: "Teacher contract I think it amounts to about $1.30 on the tax rate." and "I don't know how if you want to preserve all that, how you get around anything less than at least a $2 increase in the tax rate." Seaman agrees on $1.30 (1:50:18). Damon: "I was part of the leadership of restoring the school budget in Croydon last spring, after it was cut by 53%." (1:51:12). | |
| 1:52:41 | Retirees | The list is acknowledged; Skillen asks the board and administration to "host some sort of celebration for these retirees" (1:54:09). | |
| 1:55:25 | Capital improvements | Bonnie Miles (per the minutes): meeting with the head of maintenance the week of January 30; Disnard roof quotes, a Stevens roof membrane, the middle-school kitchen exhaust, "That's $28,000." (1:56:28). Seaman: the food-service surplus of "200,000 or greater" must stay in food service: "You can't take that money and put it back into local funds. It needs to be used for food service." (1:56:54, 1:57:37). | |
| 1:59:02 | Surplus to capital reserve | Seaman: "if there's a surplus by statute, it goes back to taxpayers to reduce tax rate in future years." He suggests an article, like Unity's, sending part of any surplus to the capital reserve; Petrin asks about the warrant deadline (2:00:53). | |
| 2:02:13 | Restructuring and schedule committees | Tempesta: "we couldn't really come to an agreement with the scope of work and then cost for that." with the consultants; restructuring is pushed back at least a year. The schedule change, "hopefully move from the block schedule to a to a more a regular schedule", also waits (2:04:16). The draft calendar is aligned with Newport (2:05:43). | |
| 2:06:37 | Visioning Committee's future | Petrin suggests "maybe, you know, looking to to sunset that committee" (2:06:48). A member: "I think it's too early for that yet." (2:07:22). Whitney asks for goals and an end date (2:09:04); Sprague: "as far as I'm concerned, I agree with Mike patron that we I think we can sunset this" (2:13:42). A formal presentation is requested for February (2:14:19). | |
| 2:20:00 | Donation accepted | Skillen: "Motion to. Accept the donation from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation for the amount of $10,000 for the Claremont Middle School athletics program." Seconded by Lambert; carried (2:20:33). | POSITIVE |
| 2:21:05 | Vacancy | Petrin: Lambert's "This is his last meeting with us."; the March ballot "is going to be my seat, Frank seat and a one year seat to finish Josh's term." (2:21:28). Skillen: "So is it possible to not feel the seat and just elect in the replacement?" (2:22:13). Sprague: "I couldn't find any specific RSA as far as New Hampshire one" (2:22:56). Seaman: the board waited once before; "That took place. I'm thinking ten, 12 years ago." (2:23:55). Sprague moves: "Not posting for the appointment, but wait until the election given." (2:24:39); "motion by Frank. Second by Whitney." (2:24:45). Whitney: "I know SOS." then "Thank you for the formal vote, everybody." (2:24:59). | MEDIUM |
| 2:25:07 | Lambert's statement | "it has nothing to do with the board. It's just personal life." | |
| 2:26:27 | Report requests | Sprague: "I would like to request at some point a report out on title one." Petrin: "Is a report out on Esser money?" (2:27:36). | OBSERVATION |