Participants
Everyone heard or recorded as present. Spellings follow the agenda and the approved minutes; where the dialogue file or the transcript renders a name differently, both are shown and neither is settled here. The Stevens High School senior who spoke at the hearing is named in the minutes and is not named on this page.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Heather Whitney | Chair | Runs the hearing and the meeting; enforces the 30-minute comment limit (flag 9). Argues the tax effect of the current-configuration budget matters to families (2:05:43). Moves a modified three-school budget at 2:37:32, which fails 3–4 (flag 4). The dialogue file also gives her two questions the minutes credit to Hawkins and two remarks they credit to Crawford (see footer). |
| Michael Petrin | Vice chair | Seconds the nonpublic and return motions (minutes; the chair calls him "Mr. Peterson" at 0:28:34). Favors the three-school model as "better alignment" (2:29:54); says all three budgets can be pared further (2:54:28). Seconds the CAA ratification. Asks whether CCTV's sports broadcasts are affected by the filming advisory (3:05:49). |
| Arlene Hawkins | Member; Policy subcommittee chair | Moves the grant acceptance (minutes; "Miss Hawkins moves", 0:03:16). Adds the CAA item to the agenda (0:14:28). Reads Ed 306 as counting paraprofessionals as educators (1:15:48). Seconds the current-configuration motion "for discussion" (1:59:12). Moves to ratify the CAA tentative agreement (2:58:40). Asks for a two-pronged superintendent or executive-director search (2:57:16). |
| Candace Crawford | Member; Finance subcommittee chair | Seconds the grant motion (minutes; Candy at 0:03:16). Explains the January 20 date as the "general courts, calendar" (1:00:06). Walks through health costs and the 95% district share (1:08:18); calls the year-end outlook "still a crapshoot" (1:12:08). Supports the four-school aligned model and opposes three schools (2:27:23). |
| William Madden | Member | Seconds the chair's three-school motion. Says the board must "minimize the increase" (2:11:33) and that only a three-school budget can pass the voters (2:53:19). Asks for an executive-director agenda item (2:56:53). The nonpublic minutes record him as the only vote against authorizing litigation. |
| Frank Sprague | Member | Credited by the minutes with the supplement-versus-supplant question (0:12:10) and the attrition question (1:01:11), both labeled "Unidentified board member" in the dialogue file. Asks about special-education PD (0:37:13). Moves the four-school aligned budget (2:24:17). Opposes the three-school model for want of a plan at Stevens (2:49:51). Moves to elect the music teacher (3:03:36). |
| Loren Howard | Member | Asks about a second loan and state borrowing (0:32:49). Moves to extend public comment (1:51:44). Moves the current-configuration budget and puts its cost at about $50 a month on a $250,000 house (1:58:34, 1:59:20). |
| Noelle Kronberg | School Board Clerk | Calls the roll and the roll-call votes; keeps time on public comment and says she paused the clock while Angell answered (1:51:14). Records the minutes (the chair calls her "Miss Cronenberg"). |
| Kerry Kennedy | Interim Superintendent | Presents the grant (0:01:24), moves the nonpublic session from the floor (0:28:09), gives the PD update (0:34:11), presents the models' objectives, enrollment and attrition (0:42:28, 0:54:06), nominates Ian Gallub (3:01:53) and reports the filming advisory (3:04:10). |
| Matt Angell | Senior Comptroller / Interim Business Administrator | Finance update (0:30:16); answers on stipends (0:22:12) and the forensic audit (0:27:09); presents the three budgets and tax rates (0:45:35), warrant articles (0:55:12) and the default budget (1:46:16). Apologizes to staff for the 39 layoffs (1:45:30). |
| Paige Jarvis | Interim Student Services Director | Listed on the agenda; present in the nonpublic session (nonpublic minutes). Not heard on the recording. |
| Luke Webster | Attorney (virtual) | Present in the nonpublic session only (nonpublic minutes). The chair said counsel would not be available "until 7:00" (0:16:23). |
| Dr. Eric Linke | West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (WCCMA) | "Linke" in the minutes; "Eric Link" in the dialogue file. Says he will take over the CMS band program and offers to answer questions (0:10:12); names Melissa Richmond, the center's executive director (0:11:07). |
| Michael Demars (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Ward 3 | The transcript renders his introductions "Michael Ward three" and "Michael Myers, Ward three", and the dialogue file labels him Michael Myers; the minutes print Michael Demars. Asks how the music program is funded in later years (0:04:16); asks for a stipend policy and "more public transparency" (0:20:33); calls a 7% increase "dead on arrival" (1:40:59). |
| Stevens High School senior, Ward 3 | Hearing comment | Speaks for the music program and asks whether the grant covers more than salary (0:05:24). Named in the minutes; labeled "Noah Bosch" in the dialogue file. |
| Sherri Williams (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Chestnut Street | "Sherry Williams" in the dialogue file. Supports the music teacher and asks how a grant is a donation (0:08:10); later speaks for summer school and credit recovery (0:24:21). |
| Erica Abbey (minutes) | Citizens' comments | Labeled "Unidentified public commenter" in the dialogue file; the minutes name her for both exchanges. Asks about the Code Monkey curriculum (0:19:26) and later about the default budget, construction and staffing (1:46:00). |
| Derek Ellerkamp (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Ward 2 | The transcript renders his introduction "Derek Alexander, Ward two". Asks about the forensic audit (0:26:32). |
| Cameron Lowney (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Ward 2; Disnard teacher | "Camron Lownie" in the dialogue file. Says data meetings and small-group intervention already happen; cites research on "school consolidation effects on test scores"; asks why the aligned model costs so much less (1:25:52). |
| Sandra Evans (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Ward 3; parent and teacher | "Sandra Edwards" in the dialogue file. Questions the staffing arithmetic and where interventionists would work; asks for "another year" (1:29:17). |
| Lisa Holtz | Citizens' comments, Ward 2; elementary educator | Reads a shorter version of a letter the minutes enter in full (1:32:30). |
| Alicia Simino (minutes) | Maple Avenue teacher, formerly Bluff | "Alicia Seminole" in the transcript; "Alicia Simoneau" in the dialogue file. Says 25 teachers have asked her for references (1:36:00). |
| Jenna Gage | Citizens' comments, Ward 3; Maple Avenue second-grade teacher | Reads a letter the minutes enter in full (1:38:04). |
| Jim Zullo (as transcribed) | Citizens' comments, Ward 3 | The minutes record "A citizen from ward 3". Urges further cuts (1:43:07). |
| Brian Rapp | Citizens' comments, Ward 2 | Asks for "a couple of years of stability" and calls three schools "Ridiculous" (1:52:07). |
| Clinton Laurie (minutes) | Citizens' comments, Ward 2 | "Clinton Lowry" of 163 Maple Avenue in the transcript. Says his taxes rose 26% with the reassessment and objects to severance payouts (1:54:17). |
| Unidentified | Member of the audience | Interjects during Howard's remarks about people on fixed incomes (2:02:28); the chair says "I'm sorry, sir." |
Agenda
Items from the agenda (Google Doc in the packet folder), with the time each was taken up on the recording and the disposition from the recording and the approved minutes. Items added at the meeting are marked.
| Taken up | Item | Agenda text / disposition |
|---|
| 0:00:00 | Hearing I. General Business | Agenda: "Secretary Roll Call of Attendance of Board Members". The chair opens the meeting, leads the Pledge and asks for the roll (0:00:44); responses are not individually audible. |
| 0:01:24 | Hearing II. CMS Band Donation | Agenda: "NH Charitable Foundation Donation to Claremont Middle School Music Program in the amount of $49,775.00". Kennedy states the motion: to apply for the grant and, if granted, accept funds "not to exceed the $49,775" (0:02:07). Moved by Hawkins, seconded by Crawford (minutes). Five comments from the floor. Voice vote, no opposition or abstention; "Motion passes and the public hearing is closed" (0:13:52). See flag 5. |
| 0:14:04 | Meeting II.a Consent Agenda | Agenda: amendments and approval of the agenda; 12/17/25 minutes; manifest. Floor amendments: CAA contract item added at Hawkins's request (0:14:28); nonpublic session added at Kennedy's request for "an emergent situation" (0:15:32); ratification of a CMS music teacher added as item 4 (0:16:12). Two corrections to the 12/17 minutes (0:17:18). Consent agenda accepted "by consensus" (0:18:16). |
| 0:18:16 | Meeting II.b Citizens Comments (Policy BEDH) | The chair limits comment to "30 minutes total" across non-agenda and agenda items (0:18:16). Four speakers on non-agenda items: Code Monkey, stipends, summer school, the forensic audit. |
| 0:28:09 | Nonpublic session (added) | Motion as spoken: litigation under "RSA 91 A on three Roman numeral two" and contract negotiations under "RSA 91 a colon to the numeral". Minutes: "RSA 91-A:3, II (a & e)", moved by Whitney, seconded by Petrin, roll call unanimous, 7:02–7:32 p.m. (0:28:34 to 0:29:43). Nonpublic minutes: 6–1 vote (Madden opposed) to authorize the district's attorney to pursue litigation over court-ordered out-of-state special-education costs for a student in state custody; CAA negotiations discussed. See flags 1 and 2. |
| 0:30:16 | II.c Finance Update | Angell: year-end path to "wiping out the deficit"; no deficit warrant article; cash just over $5 million [transcript: "$5 billion"]; loan paid to zero. Questions on loan interest and state borrowing. Report only. |
| 0:34:11 | II.d Follow-Up Items: PD update | The chair first drops it ("no professional development update", 0:34:01); Kennedy then gives it. Hawkins asks for an update on 15 pre-K students reported as not receiving services (0:38:13). |
| 0:38:40 | III.1 4-School Unaligned, 4-School Aligned, 3-School Aligned Summary | Presentation, board questions, the rest of the 30-minute comment period (extended 9 minutes by vote, 1:51:44), then three motions. (1) Current four-school configuration, $46,211,951: Howard / Hawkins; 4–3 by show of hands (minutes: for Howard, Sprague, Crawford, Hawkins; against Petrin, Madden, Whitney) (2:23:31). (2) Four-school aligned, $44,844,373: Sprague / Hawkins; "For 4 to 3" (minutes list the same four in favor) (2:37:02). (3) Three-school aligned with line changes: Whitney / Madden; failed, three in favor (Whitney, Madden, Petrin) (2:55:22). Both four-school budgets go to the January 20 hearing. |
| 2:55:53 | III.2 Subcommittee Reports | Nothing from Capital Improvement, Finance, Policy or Curriculum. Hawkins asks again to be removed as Curriculum chair (2:56:27). Ad Hoc Leadership Search: executive-director presentation requested for the next agenda (2:56:53). |
| 2:58:22 | Item 3 (added): CAA contract | Hawkins moves to ratify the tentative agreement with the Claremont Administrators Association; Petrin seconds (minutes; "Thank you, Mr. Patron. Second", 3:00:40). One salary-schedule typo corrected (3:00:12). Unanimous (3:01:25). See flag 6. |
| 3:01:53 | Item 4 (added): CMS music teacher | Kennedy nominates Ian Gallub (minutes; "Ian Gallup" on tape, "Ian Globe" in the motion) at step 17, master's plus 15, 0.6 FTE. Sprague moves, Whitney seconds (minutes). Unanimous (3:03:46). |
| 3:04:10 | IV. Other Business | Kennedy on the Department of Education's technical advisory on filming students. Adjournment by consent (3:08:50); minutes: 10:11 p.m. |
Discussion timeline
Times are taken from the dialogue transcript (Dialogue/17092 SchoolBoard010726.mp4.CSV) and link into the recording. Timestamps link to the same moment in the Cablecast recording.
| Time | Topic | What was said | Flags |
|---|
| 0:01:24 | Grant for CMS band and chorus | Kennedy: middle-school students "have not had band or chorus" instruction since October 31; the foundation invited an application; the motion authorizes applying and, if granted, accepting an amount "not to exceed the $49,775 that was outlined" (0:02:07); "this is totally no cost to anybody in Claremont" (0:02:39). Funding is for the rest of this year; next year is "already budgeted" per the minutes. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:08:10 | Hearing comments | Williams: "I'm just unclear how a grant would be considered a donation." Kennedy: earlier donations to the WCCMA are held "in reserve"; the grant is not guaranteed, "but it's a very high percentage likely that we will get it" (0:09:41). A board member asks whether the grant may "supplement but not supplant" (0:12:10); the answer, credited to Angell by the minutes, is that the rule applies to federal funds. Vote at 0:13:22: the chair reads the amount as "accepting 49,000 $775,000 from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation". | |
| 0:15:32 | Agenda amendments | Kennedy asks to add a nonpublic session: "So this will be related to RSA 91, a colon, three normal numeral two, as related to litigation, something that just recently came up today." The chair notes counsel is not available until 7:00 (0:16:23). | MEDIUM |
| 0:19:26 | Code Monkey | A resident (Erica Abbey, minutes) asks about the Code Monkey curriculum raised in December. The board's answer: grants applied for; the vendor extended its deadline and "January 16th is the deadline" (0:20:03). | |
| 0:20:33 | Stipends | Demars (minutes) asks for a stipend policy: "I think that there needs to be more public transparency about who's getting stipends for what". Angell: stipends follow the collective bargaining agreement, and some Covid-era payments were bonuses recorded as stipends (0:23:13). The chair: "the stipends that we're concerned were written outside of the collective bargaining agreement" (0:23:52). | |
| 0:26:32 | Forensic audit | Ellerkamp (minutes) asks "what's happening with the forensic audit". Angell: "I don't really think it's appropriate for me to go into it at this point in time." The minutes: "the auditors declined and he is looking for another". Ellerkamp: "This whole board should resign." (0:27:15) | |
| 0:28:09 | Into nonpublic | Kennedy states the motion; the chair adopts it ("I would like to move that motion") and Petrin seconds. Roll call at 0:28:34. The tape resumes at 0:29:43 with the motion to return. | MEDIUM MEDIUM |
| 0:30:16 | Finance update | Angell: "I do see a path forward with wiping out the deficit." "I'm going to make a recommendation to the board not to have a deficit warrant article" (0:30:27). Cash "was just over $5 billion" [million, per the minutes] after paying the loan to zero, on the adequacy grant and the city's assessment payment. He expects to draw on the loan again by late February; "March is going to be tough" (0:31:36). On a state loan program: "I think some of the the items that are tied to it make it unpalatable" (0:33:02). Any July borrowing would need board permission and counsel. | |
| 0:34:11 | PD and special education | January 16 half day: Wit and Wisdom at Maple Avenue, executive functioning at Disnard, purchase-order training for secretaries, cross-training after the reduction in force. Sprague asks about special-education PD (0:37:13); billing-specialist work on time-and-effort logs (0:37:53). Hawkins: "15 prekindergarten students who were not receiving services" (0:38:13). | |
| 0:38:40 | Process for the models | The chair: two models will go to the January 20 hearing at Stevens; the budget vote comes on January 21; "this is a highly unusual situation" (0:39:30). | |
| 0:42:28 | Objectives and enrollment | Kennedy: improve achievement, reduce the need for support services, raise the graduation rate; interventionists now come from Title I. Enrollment is "1509, I believe, today" and could fall to about 1,000 "within several years" (0:45:01). | |
| 0:45:35 | The three budgets | Angell: current-year budget all in, $43,179,564. Three-school aligned "$44,022,085" (+"1840 $2,521, or 1.95%", i.e. $842,521) (0:46:04). Four-school aligned "$44,844,373, or $1.6 million over the current year, or 3.86%". Four-school current configuration "$46,211,951 or $3,032,387, or 7.02%" (0:46:45); he offered "almost $1 million" of cuts in that model. Reopening Bluff: "At $619,083", total "$46,831,034" (0:47:51). | |
| 0:48:24 | Tax rates and state aid | About $0.08 on the rate "for every $100,000 added to the operating budget". Rates: "All in for real estate tax is $17.45. Under the three school model would be $18.14 under the for school aligned model. It's $18.80 and under the for school current position model, it's $19.91." (0:48:55). "the hold harmless grant is going to kick in" for $1.3 million, affecting FY28, not the budget at hand (0:49:23). | |
| 0:50:35 | Board and community questions | Grade bands: four-school aligned K–2, 3–5, CMS and Stevens unchanged; three-school K–2, 3–6, 7–12 (placement of grades 3 and 7 still open). Interventionists above Title I: ten, six, zero (0:52:10). Bluff classes moved intact, some as small as ten (0:52:46). Teachers leaving: "a total of 31 in the 2023 year", 27 in 2024, 35 this year (0:54:06); Angell later says the data cannot separate resignations from non-renewals (1:01:23). | |
| 0:55:12 | Warrant articles previewed | Administrators' CBA "funded through tax dollars"; special-education and building-improvement reserves funded from year-end surplus; "permission to sell, rent or lease surplus property, specifically bluff and the Masonic Temple" (0:55:28); no deficit appropriation. No reserves exist now for an emergency; a roof project and "some asbestos mitigation" are being priced (0:57:11). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:57:58 | Hearing calendar | Angell recommends closing the hearing on the 20th and voting on the 21st; "we have to make a decision on January 21st" (0:59:47). Crawford: "The hearing has to be accomplished by January 20th." (1:00:06) | POSITIVE |
| 1:02:22 | Costs the board does not control | Crawford: health insurance up 11.8% (1:08:18); about 250 covered staff; "An average of 95% is paid by the district" (1:09:25). Angell: "We have 78, 78 vacancies" (1:07:41); 23 vacant positions carry $1 for health insurance ("I budgeted at $1", 1:10:26). Crawford: "I want the public to know that it's still a crapshoot" (1:12:52). | |
| 1:13:03 | Class sizes | The chair: aligned K–2 classes would run about 17; "The minimum standard is 25, with a target indicated by the state of 20 for class size." (1:14:03). Hawkins: under the new Ed 306 language "it is the average class size per educator that includes a teacher and a para" (1:15:48). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:16:28 | Interventionists | Kennedy: interventionists would not be the first choice as substitutes; grade-level intervention blocks. Angell: "I would strongly recommend that they do not serve as building sites" [subs] (1:22:22). | |
| 1:24:00 | Public comment on the models | The chair: "at the public hearing, public comment is unlimited" (1:24:34). Lowney: research on "school consolidation effects on test scores" (1:26:18); Angell: "there's $1 million that I could recommend to take off in any of the other models" (1:28:30). Evans: "We are asking you for another year." (1:31:26). Holtz: "We are the experts. Would you please listen to us?" (1:35:23). Simino: "I have been approached by 25 teachers since your budget came out on the website" (1:36:00). Gage: "The loss of those 40 positions being cut shouldn't be forgotten." (1:39:19). | |
| 1:40:59 | Taxpayers' side | Demars: "a 7% increase, for the current configuration is dead on arrival with the taxpayers". Zullo: "I think somebody needs to sharpen their pencil and start making some more cuts." (1:43:08). Angell: "I also offered $1 million worth of cuts." (1:45:06); "for you employees, I'm sorry for letting go those 39 people." (1:45:30). | |
| 1:46:00 | Default budget and payroll | Abbey (minutes) asks what happens under a default budget. Angell: the default is "very, very rigid" and will follow the chosen model, because it is "the current programs plus and minus changes in the law plus and minus changes in contracts" less positions not in the operating budget (1:46:42). On September's layoffs: "part of the problem that I'm running into is can I make payroll?" (1:50:21). | |
| 1:51:29 | Comment period extended | At the 30-minute mark Howard moves to extend by nine minutes, Hawkins seconds; the chair counts "One. Two. Three. Four. Motion passes." (1:52:01); the minutes record all present in favor. Rapp: "We need a couple of years of stability. It's called triage." (1:52:24). Laurie: "My taxes went up 26%." (1:55:09). | POSITIVE |
| 1:58:34 | Motion 1: current configuration | Howard moves "model number 3" (the current four-school budget); Hawkins seconds "for discussion". Howard: on a $250,000 house "it'd be 612 per year" (2:00:01), and "right now we do need stability" (2:02:02). The chair answers with "60% of families that have less than $1,000 in their savings account" (2:06:20) and "That tax bill prevented me from getting snow tires." (2:06:56). Madden: "We got to minimize the increase." (2:15:44). Hawkins: "there will not be a separate warrant article for the deficit" (2:15:53). Vote by hands, four in favor (2:23:59); "That's going forward." (2:24:05). | MEDIUM |
| 2:24:17 | Motion 2: four-school aligned | Sprague: "we sort of give special ed a blank check" (2:24:56); "We have an instructional issue." (2:25:31); "Personally, I don't see a real need for interventionists" (2:26:01); "I voted for the current configuration as my second choice." (2:27:05). Crawford: "I, I do not support, a three school model at all." (2:28:23). Petrin prefers three schools (2:29:54). The chair calls the extra spending "the opposite of compounding interest" (2:33:45); Hawkins: "we are not going to the taxpayers to fix the deficit problem" (2:36:13). Sprague restates the figure "Of $44,844,373." (2:36:54); "For 4 to 3." (2:37:15). | MEDIUM |
| 2:37:32 | Motion 3: modified three-school | The chair: remove four vacant interventionist and two vacant instructional-coach positions, add two guidance FTE, "resulting in a net reduction of 622,521." Then: "So the new operating budget would be 43,179,564. That is a .51 percent increase increase in this year's budget." (2:38:38). Madden seconds. She calls it "it's 100% budget neutral" (2:48:47) and the three-school move "the terminal move" (2:43:22). Sprague: "I just I just don't see it at Stevens High School" (2:51:02). Madden: "They don't trust us with the cupcake money." (2:53:22). Vote: "Three all opposed model does not move forward to the public hearing." (2:55:41). | OBSERVATION |
| 2:58:38 | CAA tentative agreement | Hawkins: "that group came to negotiations without a request for a pay raise for next year" (2:58:40); an MOU defines student-services coordinators' work year and sets up a compensation study. Kennedy: one salary figure "was supposed to be 113,000 instead of 111." (3:00:21). Ratified unanimously. | OBSERVATION |
| 3:01:53 | Music teacher | Kennedy: "So his name is Mr. Ian Gallup." Step 17 at "the annual rate of 71,831"; "His amended amount for the the 3/5 would be for $33,099" (3:02:41), which the minutes print as $43,099 (0.6 of $71,831 is $43,098.60), prorated January to June. Students still lack graded music instruction two days a week. | |
| 3:04:10 | Filming advisory | Kennedy: "the technical advisory that came up for the Department of Ed restricting use of filming"; the district's photo release already covered filming. Petrin: "we ended recording of sports or broadcasting of sports" (3:05:49). Kennedy: "there is no assumption of privacy in the public domain" (3:07:00); families that refuse filming may limit a child's participation. | |
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 7, 2026, or is labeled an observation where no verified rule applies.
MEDIUM The motion for nonpublic session did not state a lettered exemption, and the minutes cite a different basis than the one spoken
RSA 91-A:3, I(b) requires a motion to enter nonpublic session to "state on its face the specific exemption under paragraph II". As spoken at 0:28:09, the motion cited "the RSA 91 A on three Roman numeral two as related to litigation" with no letter, and, for the administrators' negotiations, "RSA 91 a colon to the numeral. I mean one excuse me, letter A as related to contact negotiations". RSA 91-A:2, I(a) is not a paragraph II exemption: it excludes collective-bargaining strategy from the definition of a meeting. The minutes and the nonpublic form then record the session as "RSA 91-A:3, II (a & e)", a basis no one stated on the record, and the consent-agenda notes write "Non-public RSA (e&a)". RSA 91-A:3, I(c) confines discussion to the matters set out in the motion. Mitigation: the subjects (litigation, CAA negotiations) were stated aloud, the roll call was taken in public, the nonpublic minutes list who was present, and II(e) plausibly fits a pending special-education cost dispute. The motion was also made by the interim superintendent and adopted by the chair; the minutes credit it to the chair.
Sources: RSA 91-A:3, I(b), I(c), II(a), II(e) (motion must name the exemption; discussion confined to it); RSA 91-A:2, I(a) (collective-bargaining strategy is not a meeting); 1.7.26 nonpublic minutes
MEDIUM A decision reached in nonpublic session reached the public share about 17 hours after the 72-hour window
The nonpublic minutes record a 6–1 roll-call vote, Madden opposed, "to authorize Ms. Kennedy to direct the district's attorney to pursue litigation regarding the district's responsibility to pay court ordered out of state special education costs for a student under state custody" (nonpublic minutes). The public minutes mention only that the board went in and came out. RSA 91-A:3, III requires that "Minutes and decisions reached in nonpublic session shall be publicly disclosed within 72 hours of the meeting" unless sealed by a 2/3 recorded vote; the form records no motion to seal. The meeting adjourned at 10:11 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, so the window closed about 10:11 p.m. on Saturday, January 10. Drive records the unsealed file, and the 2026 Non-Public folder holding it, as created at 3:17 p.m. on Sunday, January 11. Limits of the evidence: a Drive creation time shows when the file reached the public share, not whether the minutes were available on request earlier; and the decision was disclosed in full, with names and votes. Graded MEDIUM because the gap is short and the record is otherwise complete.
Sources: RSA 91-A:3, III (minutes and decisions disclosed within 72 hours unless sealed); Drive metadata for 1.7.26 CSB Nonpublic minutes unsealed, read 2026-10-03
MEDIUM The approved minutes leave the aligned budget's figure blank and misname the bargaining unit
RSA 91-A:2, II requires minutes to include "a brief description of the subject matter discussed and final decisions" and the names of movers and seconders. The approved minutes record the second motion as "Frank Sprague made a motion to move forward the four school aligned model with a budget of," with the figure missing, though Sprague stated "Of $44,844,373." on the record (2:36:54); they list the four members in favor and no one against, where the chair announced "For 4 to 3." (2:37:15). They name the ratified agreement as the "Claremont Administrative Assistant's tentative agreement"; on tape Hawkins moves to ratify the Claremont "Administrative Association" agreement and restates it as "the Claremont Administrator's Association" (3:01:19). They record the nine-minute extension as "all present voting in favor" where the chair counted four (1:52:01). The first motion's vote is recorded by name, which the tape (a show of hands) cannot show; the minutes are the only source for it. These are drafting gaps in an otherwise detailed record, and the minutes do name movers and seconders throughout.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (minutes contents; mover and seconder); 1.7.26 Approved CSB Public Hearing & Meeting Minutes
OBSERVATION The chair's motion figure equals the current-year budget, not her own arithmetic
The chair moved the three-school budget ($44,022,085) less "a net reduction of 622,521", and stated the result as "43,179,564", "a .51 percent increase" (2:38:38). $44,022,085 less $622,521 is $43,399,564, and that figure is 0.51% above the current-year $43,179,564 that Angell had presented at 0:45:35. The figure she read is the current-year budget itself, which would be a 0% increase. At the vote she called it "a 0.051% increase in the budget" (2:55:22). The approved minutes repeat "$43,179,564 for a .51% increase". The motion failed, so no adopted figure is affected, but the minutes now carry an internally inconsistent number.
Sources: the recording at the cited times; 1.7.26 approved minutes. No rule is cited; this is an arithmetic check.
OBSERVATION The grant hearing was held as RSA 198:20-b requires; its newspaper notice is not in the packet
For unanticipated funds of $20,000 or more, RSA 198:20-b, III(a) requires "a prior public hearing on the action to be taken", with "Notice of the time, place, and subject of such hearing" published in a newspaper at least 7 days before. The board held that hearing for $49,775, took public comment before voting, and the agenda states the amount and subject. The packet folder holds three documents and no newspaper notice for this hearing (the January 21 folder does hold an ad for that night's hearing), so this page cannot confirm or rule out publication. The section's authority also rests on a district meeting having adopted the enabling article in ¶I; that article was not checked for this page. Kennedy's description of the money as both "donation" and "grant" (0:08:40) was questioned from the floor.
Sources: RSA 198:20-b, I and III(a) (hearing and newspaper notice for $20,000 or more; source note ends 2023, 38:1)
OBSERVATION The CAA agreement was ratified without its cost being stated, while a tax-funded warrant article is planned
Angell previewed a warrant article for the administrators' collective bargaining agreement "funded through tax dollars" (0:55:28). At ratification Hawkins said the association asked for no raise next year, and the minutes mention a cost-of-living increase "for the following year" and a compensation study. RSA 273-A:3, II(b) sends "only cost items" to the legislative body for approval. No figure for the agreement's cost was given at this meeting, and the agreement itself is not in the packet. The January 21 warrant is where the cost should appear.
Sources: RSA 273-A:3, II(b) (cost items go to the legislative body)
OBSERVATION Class-size standards were stated correctly for K–2; the paraprofessional reading is unconfirmed
Ed 306.14 "Student-Educator Ratios" (readopted effective 12-13-24) sets K–2 at 25 or fewer per educator, striving for 20, and grades 3–5 at 30 or fewer, striving for 25. The chair's "The minimum standard is 25, with a target indicated by the state of 20" (1:14:03) matches the K–2 limb. Hawkins's reading that the ratio counts "a teacher and a para" (1:15:48) turns on how the rules define an educator, which this page did not verify. The aligned models' projected class sizes of 17 to 20 sit inside either reading.
Sources: N.H. Admin. Rules Ed 306.14 (Student-Educator Ratios, Doc. #14150, eff. 12-13-24)
OBSERVATION The posted agenda was edited during the meeting
The agenda in the packet is a live Google Doc. Drive records its last change at 7:11 p.m. on January 7, during the nonpublic session, and the text served today carries meeting notes ("All present"; "All present voting in favor") under the roll-call lines. The version the public saw before the meeting cannot be reconstructed from the live document. The agenda does not list the nonpublic session, the CAA item or the music-teacher item, all of which were added at the meeting.
Sources: Drive metadata for 1.7.26 CSB Public Hearing & Meeting Agenda (created December 30, 2025, 8:17 p.m.; modified January 7, 7:11 p.m.), read 2026-10-03. No rule is cited.
POSITIVE Early packet, a statutory hearing date, a counted comment period and unsealed nonpublic minutes
The packet folder, with the full line-item budget for all three models and the fire engineer's occupant-load memo for CMS and Maple Avenue, was on Drive on December 30, eight days before the meeting. The budget hearing was set for January 20, which is the third Tuesday in January, the last date RSA 40:13, II-a allows; Crawford explained the deadline correctly (1:00:06). The chair applied Policy BEDH's 30-minute comment period with the clerk keeping time, told the public that comment at the hearing would be unlimited, and the board voted to extend the period rather than cut speakers off. The draft minutes reached the public share within five business days, with two speakers' letters entered in full. The nonpublic minutes were released unsealed with the roll-call vote on the litigation decision. The music teacher was nominated by the superintendent and elected by the board, as RSA 189:39 provides.
Sources: RSA 40:13, II-a (budget hearings on or before the third Tuesday in January); RSA 189:74 (public comment of no less than 30 minutes); Policy BEDH; RSA 91-A:2, II (minutes within five business days); RSA 189:39 (superintendent nominates, board elects teachers)
Appendix: source files
Official and public sources
Project files
Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.
Dialogue/17092 SchoolBoard010726.mp4.CSV (968 attributed rows; the basis of this page)Input/Videos/17092 SchoolBoard010726.mp4Input/Transcripts/17092 SchoolBoard010726.mp4.jsonInput/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 289
Laws and rules cited on this page
- RSA 91-A:2, I(a) and II (source note ends 2025, 112:1, eff. Aug. 22, 2025): collective-bargaining strategy excluded from "meeting"; minutes within five business days, movers and seconders
- RSA 91-A:3, I(b), I(c), II(a), II(e), III (source note ends 2023, 189:1): nonpublic motion, scope, exemptions, 72-hour disclosure
- RSA 198:20-b (2023, 38:1, eff. July 18, 2023): unanticipated funds, hearing and notice at $20,000 or more
- RSA 40:13, II-a (2019, 192:2): SB 2 budget-hearing calendar
- RSA 189:74 (2022, 333:1): public comment period
- RSA 189:39: nomination and election of teachers
- RSA 273-A:3, II(b) (2013, 244:1): cost items to the legislative body
- N.H. Admin. Rules Ed 306.14 (Doc. #14150, eff. 12-13-24): student-educator ratios
- Claremont School Board Policy BEDH: public comment and participation