| 0:00:30 | Clerk absent | The chair: "Mr. Angel has another job, and that is to please call roll call attendance." Angell reads all seven names (0:00:49). | |
| 0:03:40 | Five sets of minutes | "We have one, two, three, four, five batches of minutes to approve." The chair thanks Sherry Williams of Ward 1, who answered a public call to transcribe them during the clerk's leave: "it's difficult when you're not at the meeting to then transcribed from the CCTV" (0:04:41). Corrections include names (Melissa Lewis, Mark Blount, Don Lavalette, James O'Shaughnessy) and a motion of Howard's on 9/17 that was never seconded (0:05:09). On the 11/19 minutes the chair says she rechecked the video: "the video is different from what the minutes said" (0:11:42). | MEDIUM POSITIVE |
| 0:13:15 | Citizens' comments: volunteers | Lavalette (per the minutes) had read the 11/12 Finance Subcommittee minutes "recommending the school board enter a nonpublic to discuss reopening the SRA, a contract." He offers: "I'm volunteering to become the volunteer coordinator for our district at no cost" (0:14:27), and to pay for fingerprints and background checks for the first five volunteers (0:16:14). The chair offers to put it on an agenda (0:16:31). | MEDIUM |
| 0:16:58 | Citizens' comments: middle school time, preschool, search | Beaton asks whether the chair's email replies speak for the board, and says "I strongly feel that we should be looking at at 306 as a minimum" (0:17:26). On preschool: "We currently have 15 students in our district who are not receiving their placement in a preschool program" (0:18:19). She asks whether the superintendent search will include parents, teachers and community members and objects to hiring "an executive officer" without an education background (0:18:44). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:19:23 | Citizens' comments: Claremont Cares | Adams announces a campaign for cash and supply donations to the elementary schools, with principals to confirm acceptance and guide priorities (0:20:48). | |
| 0:22:38 | Agenda reordered for the broadcast | The chair: "I've heard that there's been issues with the meeting being cut off on CCTV," so votes now come before informational items. Crawford notes the full meeting is online after the two-hour channel slot (0:23:20); Howard: "Set for four hours now, so hopefully we'll be able to go to 1030 without things getting cut off" (0:23:56). | POSITIVE |
| 0:24:07 | Finance update | Angell had estimated the enrollment report at $20,000: "However, it was free when we paid our dues to, Nasdaq, which is New England School Development Council" [NESDEC]; dues were $2,585. Self-serve portal on for all employees; contract approvals not yet working (0:24:46). Staffing maps for four-school and three-school models, with the tech center untouched in every model (0:25:46). Tax rate: "the schools combined portion of the tax rate ended up being, $17.45. That's combined local and state share. That ended up being an 8.25% increase" (0:26:13); "I did up the estimate aid for special ed aid to $700,000" (0:26:40). | |
| 0:27:55 | Program of studies | Herrington and Rhines present the revised document, with an appendix on credits embedded under the 2025 Ed 306 changes (0:28:45). Spanish IV/V not offered this year for want of a teacher; "I am 95% sure" one is in place for next year (0:30:42). Herrington keeps credit recovery in: "I'm balancing, the severe budget crisis that we are in" and valuable programming (0:31:16). Madden: "I believe we have a conflict of interest here," calling summer school social promotion (0:35:50); Herrington: a quantitative cutoff "negates the possibility of social promotion" (0:36:20). Crawford recalls about $30,000 for summer school in past budgets (0:40:07). Approved unanimously (0:42:28). | |
| 0:43:04 | CodeMonkey: process | Angell: policy IGA requires a superintendent's committee to evaluate curriculum and recommend to the board; "That hasn't happened in this particular case. This is bypassed." Policy DEDB asks for items ten days ahead, though any member may place an item (0:43:41). He believes other tools would be better (0:44:09). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:44:32 | CodeMonkey: presentation | Swenson: unified-arts teachers have taught technology one hour a week for over ten years without a curriculum (0:45:28). Of the free sites in use, "I found that it proximately 80% of them were non-compliant" with student-data rules she attributes to "New Hampshire House Bill 1612" (0:48:00, 0:48:27). "The pilot was paid for by title for grant money" [Title IV] (0:49:24). "599 of those 600 seats are filled" (0:53:13); typing accuracy 83% at eight words per minute (0:54:42). The Title IV committee that vetted it dissolved, and "we are facing the possibility of it ending in less than two weeks" (0:56:07). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:57:16 | CodeMonkey: why the grant lapsed | Swenson: the committee "disintegrated"; "Without a curriculum director, I don't have my go between" (0:57:50); "I asked for a Po. I didn't hear back, so I thought it had been paid" (0:58:13). Angell says he passed his concerns to Jeff Small and heard nothing until late November (0:58:39). Cost: 3500. (Angell, 1:00:31) for the rest of the year. Angell: "If you approve this tonight, I think what you should do is set an expectation that all the curriculum is going to be reverted by a curriculum director when we hire one" (1:00:58). The chair: "We cut it for this year because of cash flow issues" (1:03:21). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:03:30 | CodeMonkey: debate | Howard: "we paid somebody for communications almost $5,000 last month," so this is "a no brainer" (1:03:49). Hawkins distinguishes a program from a curriculum (1:05:40). Madden: an item should come one week and be voted the next (1:08:34); the chair: "This one's on me" (1:08:58), citing a December 13 deadline (1:09:52). Madden: "I'm very, very concerned that we're slipping back to the pre Matt Angel days" (1:09:12) and the board used to "make all the decisions in that stupid closet back there" (1:10:21). Petrin would wait (1:12:52). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:14:24 | CodeMonkey: motion and amendment | Hawkins moves to authorize the program from December through June. The chair: "I would like it to be amended to say approve financially only after Grant"; Hawkins: "Had been explored" (1:20:48, 1:20:54). Crawford: "I'm appalled that $3,500 for K through six" is the whole elementary technology program (1:21:23). Passed with no opposition (1:22:04). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:22:30 | SchoolCare payment plan | Angell: "we we have an assessment for $868,000"; SchoolCare will let the district "pay a third of it before the end of this month, and then the remainder, I believe, on July before July 15th" with no interest if both are on time, half a percent a month if late. Hawkins praises the no-interest terms; Angell: "They've actually extended this to every single customer" (1:24:17). The 11/12 Finance Subcommittee minutes put the first payment at about $290,000, "encumbered in this year's budget". Passed unanimously (1:24:40). | |
| 1:25:06 | SAS scores: Bluff and Claremont Middle School | Kennedy: Bluff remains a comprehensive support and improvement school, "it is the lowest 5% of all New Hampshire schools for title one schools" (1:25:28); with Bluff closed, 60% of its students are at Maple Avenue and 40% at Disnard, and the grant follows them (1:25:46). The CSI plan was rewritten after the closure (1:26:31). Claremont Middle School carries additional targeted support status for students with disabilities and students receiving free and reduced lunch (1:29:51). Kennedy cautions that grant spending must stay compliant so local funds are not left covering it (1:31:21). | |
| 1:32:00 | SAS scores: Disnard exits | Lewis: Disnard's designation dated from 2018 and she learned of it only "a couple of years ago"; staff worked so that "we exited a year early" (1:32:28), by building test-format practice into instruction, matching accommodations to IEPs, and staff meetings devoted to professional development (1:33:33, 1:36:20). Madden: "Why aren't we teaching to the test to to some extent" (1:37:39); Lewis: teaching the standards is teaching to the test (1:37:56). | |
| 1:41:50 | Opt-outs | Kennedy asks for 95% participation. The chair: families may opt out, but "anything over 5% opt out is a zero, and then it gets calculated into the overall score" (1:42:35). Kennedy reports Maple Avenue and Unity in good standing (1:43:19); Stevens is on a targeted plan for students with disabilities, whose graduation rate is "significantly lower" (1:43:52). | |
| 1:46:33 | The chair's history of achievement work | "It's been bad for well over 20 years" (1:46:57). Around 2021 the board found "there had been no formal review of any Ela, mathematics, science or social studies curriculum in probably a decade" (1:47:21). She recounts Stephanie Hurst's ELA work, Kat McLaughlin's math selection, pay steps aimed at teachers in years two to five, and a tier analysis in which "the district had 8% of kids in tier one, 63% in tier two and 30% in tier three" (1:51:33); an evaluation tool approved but not implemented (1:52:38); instructional coaches budgeted but not hired (1:53:26). On growth by income and disability: "there's no difference in growth" (1:56:26). | |
| 1:57:32 | Responses | Sprague: "special Ed has played no small part in the fix we find ourselves in now as far as the deficit goes." Crawford: parents should not opt out (1:58:12). Hawkins asks for a district-wide participation plan and building-based professional development (1:58:53). Lewis asks families for attendance and punctuality (1:59:47). Madden on truancy: "you get these recidivist truants and you bring them back into the classroom" (2:00:59). A public speaker: "That's three programs in ten years" of math curricula (2:02:10). | |
| 2:02:43 | Metal detectors (JIHC) | Madden reads policy JIHC, including "This was adopted December 5th, 2007" (2:03:44), and says there is no plan or strategy (2:04:51). Herrington: "I did not develop that plan. I was following the plan" (2:05:28). Hawkins: the policy requires "procedures approved by the board"; "we are missing a procedure" (2:06:41). Herrington: other measures, such as greeting students daily, also deter violence (2:08:19). Rhines: after last winter's incident "the staff was a little bit relieved at the level of security" (2:10:22). No action; more data to come (2:09:56). | |
| 2:11:05 | Follow-ups: staffing, compensation data | Jason Bonneville takes the technology director post; "Jeff Small's last day will be December 5th." "Miss Paige Sarvis has accepted that position" [Jarvis] as student services director (2:11:34), although the agenda printed that the recommended candidate declined. The attendance-officer candidate declined (2:12:01). Compensation packages are delayed because "Our data storage system is not completely accurate in a few different bargaining units" (Kennedy, 2:12:40), with some employees billed incorrectly; release hoped for Friday (2:13:54). Preschool service costs deferred to January or February (2:14:05). | OBSERVATION |
| 2:14:37 | Follow-ups: middle school science and social studies | The chair: half a year each, the 2019 staffing matrix; "we are not violating AD 306 requirements because until a kiddo gets to high school, there's no credits required for those two course topics" (2:15:02). Crawford asks why; Kennedy: No. We rift. (2:15:54). Crawford calls the minimum standards barebones: "They are disgusting is my opinion" (2:16:48). The chair's legal conclusion is her own; this page did not test it against the Ed 306 middle-school program rules. | |
| 2:17:23 | Interns, again | Madden: "how does an intern get a contract at such a nice salary with benefits" (2:19:36), and documents carried stamps, not signatures (2:20:02). Howard: Point of order. (2:21:26). The chair: the board accepted last meeting that the contract binds it (2:21:54). Angell: "Those are those are two non-negotiable benefits that we have to offer by federal and state law" (health insurance and NH Retirement, 2:23:08). Angell: "the rubber stamps, there were three of them have been destroyed" (2:24:51); Kennedy signs by hand (2:24:57). | |
| 2:25:16 | Superintendent's report | Building-based professional development days and a plan for next year covering every bargaining unit (2:25:16); the snow-day decision process with state agencies and the weather service (2:26:54); advisory council meeting December 8 (2:27:56); FY27 organizational chart aligned to tiered instruction, with central-office staffing "down significantly" (2:29:22); interviews for a grants manager (2:31:03). | |
| 2:34:30 | Finance Subcommittee report | Crawford: "because of the changes that the saw office, the minutes haven't been posted. And so we will include a copy of the minutes of that meeting with these meeting, this meeting agenda." The committee asks whether the board will approach the SREA to reopen negotiations (2:35:00). Committee sessions December 10 and 12 at 9:30, to be aired on CCTV (2:36:18). | MEDIUM |
| 2:36:59 | Reopening the SREA contract | Crawford moves to approach the SREA. Howard: "Bad optics and probably one of the dumber things we might choose to do" (2:37:44). Kennedy: the aim is memoranda for staff outside any bargaining unit, "They're not in the the Perry Union. They're not in the teacher union" [para] (2:38:54). Angell cites the health-insurance opt-out stipend paid once a year and grant work fixed at "the cost is $25 an hour. That's an unreasonable number" (2:47:22). A member says he cannot vote on information arriving mid-motion (2:48:38; minutes: Sprague). Motion and second withdrawn (2:49:45). | OBSERVATION |
| 2:49:57 | A nonpublic session by consent | The chair: "the motion probably should be is to to have the board agree to go into a nonpublic" on the reopening rationale. Petrin: no motion is needed to schedule a nonpublic (2:50:28). The chair: "That's why I said we could have just a consent" (2:51:00), and she will put it on an agenda (2:51:23). | OBSERVATION |
| 2:51:38 | Pre-K in reconfiguration; public comment | Hawkins asks that the reconfiguration budgets price a pre-K classroom. The chair: "the finance committee meetings are work sessions, so the public is available to attend, but it's there's no public comment at that period of time" (2:52:53); at board meetings, "Usually if if we're going to make a vote on something, then we invite public comment" (2:53:28). | |
| 2:53:44 | Policies | DJ (Purchasing, revised by Angell) and JJE (Fundraising, adds a bar on co-mingling with personal funds) on first read; IKC pulled (2:54:13). On BBAA, Hawkins reads counsel's analysis: sequential communications among members about district matters "those online discussions likely violate RSA 91-A" (2:56:23). Howard: "I think our concerns about, like, being on a similar Facebook threat at each other are definitely overblown" (2:59:08). The chair: "I think we need a second read" on DJ and JJE (3:00:27); Crawford moves adoption instead and DJ, JJE and BBAA pass (3:02:08). GBEC withdrawn (3:02:29). | OBSERVATION OBSERVATION POSITIVE |
| 3:03:03 | Superintendent search committee | Hawkins moves to appoint Madden and Petrin, having rewatched the CCTV recording to confirm who volunteered (3:03:27). Madden: they have met by video with counsel Jim O'Shaughnessy (3:04:09). Passed (3:05:38). The chair: such appointments can be made "in a more colloquial way" if minuted without opposition (3:05:50). | |
| 3:06:13 | Leadership model | Crawford asks about a separate business administrator search; the chair: it depends on the model (3:06:40). Hawkins: "I've heard from the CCTV that Sarah, Freeman Freeman offered different models" and NHSBA sent a search proposal, though the board never discussed it (3:07:32). Madden: "you can have an executive officer who provides superintendent services, and that person would not have to be a licensed superintendent" (3:08:39). The chair: "I have seen a series of catastrophic administrative failures, literally for decades" (3:14:58); "in 2016, that's when we we didn't get the audits" (3:15:31); "you don't need a doctor to run the hospital" (3:16:59). Hawkins: "No. Our job is education." (3:18:02). | |
| 3:18:21 | Search versus restructuring | Howard: keep the committee on a superintendent search and hear counsel separately (3:18:21); "We may ask Carrie to stay on" [Kerry Kennedy] (3:22:16). Hawkins: reconfiguring schools, closing a deficit and restructuring leadership in one year is too much (3:24:58). The chair: "This is 10:00 at night" (3:25:29). Crawford sets out the budget timetable: "this school board has to approve the budget before it can be, published for the hearing" (3:28:49). The chair: "We could have a special meeting as long as we post it right" (3:31:00). Petrin: "Bill and I will focus on a superintendent search and not any sort of change besides" (3:31:34). | |
| 3:32:31 | Future items; adjournment | Technology audit update expected January 7 (3:32:40). Counsel or Sarah Freeman to be invited (3:32:47). The chair declares the meeting adjourned at 3:33:16; no motion is heard. | MEDIUM |