Participants
Everyone heard or addressed on the recording. Spellings follow the agenda and draft minutes. Where the dialogue file's label differs from the minutes, the row or the footer says so. Students mentioned in the discussion, other than the two student representatives, are not named.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Candace Crawford | Chair; Finance Subcommittee chair | Presides; treats the consent agenda as approved without a vote (0:07:59) and invites citizens' comment (0:07:59). Explains the grant reimbursements for the public (0:20:42, 0:23:16). Reports the Finance Subcommittee's budget calendar and its wish to discuss budget guidance "in nonpublic" at the next meeting (1:21:53 to 1:23:47). Calls every vote and the nonpublic roll call (1:37:35). |
| Michael Petrin | Vice chair; SRVRTC Committee chair | Asks that any mascot change consider the elementary schools and include students (1:06:56); named for this point in the minutes. Otherwise not separately identified on the recording. |
| Loren Howard | Member; Policy Subcommittee chair; NHSBA delegate | Seconds JIHC to second read (named by the chair, 1:09:05); explains the JF and JKAA revisions (1:10:33, 1:14:03 to 1:14:25); moves to adopt JF, JKAA and GBGA (1:16:28); seconds the teacher nomination (1:17:37); reports the priority-policy count (1:31:58 to 1:32:38); asks that the NHSBA resolutions be on the October 7 agenda (1:34:53). |
| Don Lavalette | Member; Policy and Finance Subcommittees | Corrects the September 2 minutes (0:03:53 to 0:06:56); asks what posting manifests with the minutes would cost (0:14:00); asks about 2024–25 grant claims (0:21:31) and the forensic audit (0:25:27); proposes low-cost NHIAA sports (0:55:13 to 0:56:14); asks about transportation staff (0:58:31) and the retiree's insurance cost (1:32:55); seconds the grant acceptance, the grade-level motion, the policy adoption and the nonpublic motion (0:27:26, 1:04:45, 1:16:45, 1:37:13). |
| William Madden | Member; Capital Improvement Subcommittee chair | Reports the September 15 capital meeting, held without the facilities director, and notes the curriculum subcommittee is again missing from the agenda (1:19:28 to 1:21:23). |
| Brian Rapp | Member; Capital Improvement and Policy Subcommittees | Moves acceptance of the $3,000 grant (named by the chair, 0:27:26) and the grade-level alignment (1:04:18); questions the restraint language in JKAA (1:11:16, 1:11:40); asks about donated scoreboards and the athletics Facebook page (1:25:21, 1:26:06 to 1:27:10); prompts the chair that the nonpublic motion must state its ground (1:37:16). |
| Heather Whitney | Member; Ad Hoc Exploratory Reconfiguration chair; Finance Subcommittee | Arrived 7:01 p.m. per the minutes; first heard at 0:48:02. Moves JIHC to second read (1:08:50) and the teacher nomination (1:17:36); votes no on JF, JKAA and GBGA "just because I have more questions" (1:16:55); asks about the Bluff School and Masonic Temple sales (1:00:23, 1:00:46) and about priority policies on board information (1:30:18 to 1:31:32). |
| Noelle Kronberg | School Board Clerk | Listed on the agenda; addressed by Lavalette during his minutes corrections (0:03:53). Not separately identified on the recording. |
| Byron DeCamp | Student representative; Stevens senior class president | Introduces himself (0:02:16); the transcript renders the surname Camp. Name per the agenda. |
| Faith Norton | Student representative; Stevens senior class vice president | Introduces herself (0:02:36, 0:02:43). Name per the agenda. |
| Dr. Timothy Broadrick | Superintendent, SAU 6 | Says scanned meeting documents breach federal accessibility law (0:14:22); defers the forensic-audit scope to nonpublic (0:25:33 to 0:26:37); reports 11 of 18 corrective actions (0:27:49 to 0:28:43), the lapsed Region 10 agreement (0:44:36) and kindergarten crowding (0:45:45 to 0:49:21); asks for the grade-level vote (1:02:26 to 1:04:11); gives the retiree insurance cost (1:33:16, 1:33:43). |
| Kerry Kennedy | Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment, SAU 6 | Reports the elementary realignment in operation and the grant drawdowns, "$680,447.22" since July (0:17:59, 0:18:38 to 0:20:22); announces a family engagement night (1:36:21). |
| Luke Diamond | School District Treasurer | August report; outstanding checks not yet reconciled; advises members to look for the itemized direct-deposit list before signing payroll (0:11:18 to 0:12:33); says manifests are not yet public (0:16:22). |
| Michelle Herrington | Principal, Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center | Self-identifies (0:30:27; the transcript renders "Harrington"); describes the new LNA program (0:30:27 to 0:32:59), middle-school exploratory classes and enrollment (0:36:47 to 0:41:31), and a $2,000 donation (0:43:41, 0:44:09). Not the same person as Dr. Michael Herrington of Stevens. |
| Melissa Lewis | Principal, Disnard Elementary School | Speaks on restraint thresholds under JKAA (1:14:36 to 1:15:44); named by the draft minutes. |
| Hope Damon | State Representative; citizens' comment | Reports her seat on the Department of Education's screen-time task force, work on possible Right-to-Know legislation, and that she is running for reelection (0:08:32 to 0:10:43). |
| Unidentified | Various | 50 of 596 rows: the Pledge, roll-call and nonpublic roll-call answers, and short interjections. |
Agenda
Items as posted on the agenda (live Google Doc), with the point the recording takes each up and the disposition from the recording and the draft minutes.
| Taken up | Item | Agenda text / disposition |
|---|
| 0:00:04 | I. Call to order, Pledge | Opened by the chair. |
| 0:00:42 | II. Roll call | Only Here answers are audible; no names are read on tape. Minutes: six present, Whitney absent until 7:01. |
| 0:00:50 | II.a Recognition | Agenda: "Introduction of Student Representatives to the School Board". Byron DeCamp and Faith Norton introduced. |
| 0:03:28 | II.b Consent agenda | Agenda, September 2 draft and nonpublic minutes, manifests. Lavalette's corrections to the September 2 minutes (0:03:53 to 0:06:56); manifests circulated for signature (0:07:45). No motion or vote: "Probably see that as a consent." (0:07:59). |
| 0:08:32 | II.c Citizens' comments | State Representative Hope Damon. |
| 0:10:57 | III.a Treasurer's report | Luke Diamond; no action. |
| 0:17:24 | III.b Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment report | Kerry Kennedy; grant drawdowns; no action. |
| 0:24:37 | III.c Finance report | Agenda: "FY26 Budget v Actual Report is unchanged since September 2". Forensic-audit question deferred to nonpublic (0:25:33). |
| 0:27:00 | III.d Superintendent's report | (1) Public Health Council of the Upper Valley / Dartmouth Health food shelf grant, $3,000: Rapp moves, Lavalette seconds, accepted by voice vote (0:27:26 to 0:27:39). (2) FY22 audit corrective actions, 11 of 18 (0:27:49). (3) CVTE programs: LNA program, enrollment report, $2,000 donation, no vote required by policy (0:29:36 to 0:44:36). (4) Kindergarten and preschool (0:45:45). (5) By-laws feedback, to a future agenda (0:49:47, 0:50:09). (6) Recovery plan draft and surveys (0:50:27 to 0:51:02). (7) Historical Society exhibit (0:52:10). (8) Commissioner's visit (0:52:32, 0:53:40). Also: NHIAA sports, transportation staff, real estate (0:55:13 to 1:02:04). |
| 1:02:07 | V.1 2026–2027 grade-level alignment | Agenda: "Requires School Board action". Rapp moves (1:04:18); Lavalette seconds (1:04:45); "The motion carries unanimously." (1:04:45). Minutes: Disnard PreK–2 and Maple Avenue 3–5. See flag 5. |
| 1:04:45 | V.2 CMS mascot: Eagles or Cardinals? | Letter from middle school football coach Ian Gates (agenda). No vote; the chair says the board is directing the administration "to conduct a survey and give us some follow up information" (1:07:24). |
| 1:08:08 | V.3 Policies | EFAA, JLCJ, IFA: adopted September 2, no action. JIHC first reading: Whitney moves to second read (1:08:50), Howard seconds; carried (1:09:42). JF, JKAA, GBGA second reading: Howard moves adoption (1:16:28), Lavalette seconds (1:16:45); carried by voice vote with Whitney opposed (1:16:46, 1:16:55). |
| 1:17:06 | V.4 Personnel report | One teacher nomination, a returning teacher: Whitney moves (1:17:36), Howard seconds (1:17:37); ratified by voice vote (1:17:46). No resignations. Director of Facilities and Maintenance job description (1:18:01). |
| 1:18:51 | V.5 Subcommittee reports | SRVRTC: covered by the principal's report. Ad hoc reconfiguration: meeting to be set (1:19:17). Capital Improvement, September 15 (1:19:28). Finance, September 15: budget calendar (1:21:53 to 1:23:47). Policy: finance policies on October 7 (1:24:43). |
| 1:25:12 | VI. Other business | Scoreboards (1:25:21 to 1:25:45); athletics social media (1:26:06 to 1:29:57); priority policies (1:30:18 to 1:32:38); retiree insurance cost (1:33:16); future agenda items (1:34:22 to 1:36:49). |
| 1:37:04 | VII. Nonpublic session | Agenda: "Under RSA 91-A:3(II) a&k". A motion is made and Lavalette seconds (1:37:13); after Rapp says "We need to state the specific." (1:37:16) a voice reads a citation the transcript renders as "Dash a column three. Two. Eight." (1:37:28); roll call, six Yes answers audible (1:37:35 to 1:37:46). The chair: "we don't anticipate any action after this nonpublic." The draft minutes record none of this. See flag 3. |
| Not recorded | VIII. Future dates; IX. Adjournment | Minutes: future dates and items listed; no adjournment time. |
Discussion timeline
Times are taken from the dialogue transcript (Dialogue/17594 SchoolBoard091626.mp4.CSV) and link into the recording.
| Time | Topic | What was said | Flags |
|---|
| 0:00:50 | Student representatives | The chair introduces the two Stevens seniors, who will report monthly (0:01:50). | |
| 0:03:53 | Corrections to the September 2 minutes | Lavalette asks that the minutes record his request for a list of Right-to-Know requests since November 1, 2025 (0:04:14); that "Newport created their emergency services program without discussion and notification to the Claremont School District" (0:04:59); and that "the board voted 5 to 2 to allow hats" (0:05:47). The chair: minutes come "five days after today's meeting"; a voice corrects, "Five business days." (0:07:24, 0:07:36). | POS |
| 0:08:32 | Citizens' comment: Rep. Damon | Damon on the screen-time task force, with a draft "by October 13th is the target date"; on possible Right-to-Know legislation: "I am a big fan of government transparency, and at the same time, I am also respectful of the burden that extensive right to know requests are placing." (0:10:21); and her reelection (0:10:43). | |
| 0:11:18 | Treasurer | Diamond: "I'm still working on getting a handle on the outstanding checks." The September payroll lacked the itemized direct-deposit list (0:12:09); members should ask for it before signing (0:12:33). | |
| 0:14:00 | Publishing manifests | Lavalette asks the burden of posting manifests. Broadrick: scanned documents cannot be read by OCR software, so "We are actually violating a federal regulation or law." (0:14:22); he chooses to post scans as a stopgap (0:14:52, 0:15:17). Diamond: manifests are not yet available to the public (0:16:22). | OBS |
| 0:18:38 | Grant reimbursements | Kennedy lists Perkins, Title I, II and IV claims and a total: "the grand total since July, we've been able to get back to the district, $680,447.22." (0:20:22). The 2024–25 grants close "on September 30th" (0:21:42). Broadrick estimated the total owed at "a couple of million dollars" (0:22:08). The chair: past administrations reported grant money as received "when in fact they were only anticipated" (0:23:16). | POS |
| 0:25:27 | Forensic audit | Broadrick: "I would like to take that up a non public tonight because I want to be very specific about the scope of that project." The firm "responded to your attorney"; the check was never received and is cancelled (0:25:48). He adds that it is "a valid public conversation" and that "A narrower scope of forensic audit will control the cost potentially." (0:26:11). | MED |
| 0:27:04 | $3,000 grant accepted | Broadrick: board policy requires a vote "to accept donations exceeding $2,500"; a $3,000 grant from the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley and Dartmouth Health supports Courtney's Closet. Accepted by voice vote (0:27:39). | |
| 0:27:49 | FY22 corrective actions | "So we're at 11 out of 18." He needs the new business administrator for the rest and aims to have all drafted "by the end of October" for board approval so the auditors can "finalize the 22 audit" (0:28:10). | HIGH |
| 0:30:27 | New LNA program | Herrington learned Newport was not running LNA and got state approval within the existing health science cluster (0:31:13, 0:31:31); "We still need a lot of equipment." (0:32:59). Broadrick: the commissioner can move state- or federally funded equipment to the new site (0:35:33); articulation and clinical agreements still needed (0:36:00, 0:36:23). | |
| 0:36:47 | Tech center enrollment | Machine tool went from zero students to 174 middle-school students in 22-day rotations (0:37:29, 0:37:56); with exploratory classes "it's 689 students coming through the tech center", up from 284, "142.6% increase" (0:40:21, 0:40:47). | |
| 0:43:22 | $2,000 donation | Below the policy threshold, so recognized without a vote. Herrington: the donor "put $2,000 in Lovell's and an account for you" (the minutes write "Lavalley's"), for the tech center's use; she would spend it on the exploratory program (0:43:41, 0:44:09). | OBS |
| 0:44:36 | Region 10 agreement | Broadrick: the regional agreement "does not appear to me to have been renewed appropriately upon expiration"; because Perkins funding continues, he concludes the commissioner "is exercising her authority to extend it year by year" (0:44:36). Lavalette: "it was never done right." (0:45:29). Chair: the board "Never took any action." (0:45:36). | MED |
| 0:45:45 | Kindergarten crowding | "we have over 100 students in five kindergarten classrooms." (0:45:45); "That is not a class size that we want" (0:46:10); higher needs than usual. He has denied two early-entry requests for lack of capacity (0:48:19 to 0:48:30) and has no room for a sixth class in the new configuration (0:48:58). | |
| 0:49:47 | By-laws and recovery plan | The annotated by-laws draft arrives at the table and goes to a future agenda (0:50:09). The recovery plan's nine domains are documented; electronic stakeholder surveys proposed (0:50:41, 0:51:02). | |
| 0:55:13 | Low-cost sports | Lavalette proposes bass fishing, cross country, co-ed esports, unified soccer and wrestling (0:55:13 to 0:56:14). Broadrick: "At Stevens, we only offer unified sports in the winter. In the spring." and "Next year we will have unified soccer." (0:58:13). | |
| 0:58:31 | Transportation staff | Broadrick: drivers drive more than expected; some punch out between runs (0:58:41, 0:59:03); "just because I'm answering the question doesn't mean I'm satisfied." (0:59:25). A bus aide's presence "is prescribed in a student's IEP" (0:59:50). | |
| 1:00:23 | Real estate sales | One party has emailed about the Bluff School (1:00:26). On the Masonic Temple: "I haven't heard a thing, but I. I can't say that I've done anything to try to promote the sale of." (1:00:49). Whether either property is listed is unclear to those present (1:00:59 to 1:01:49). | OBS |
| 1:02:26 | Grade-level alignment vote | Broadrick: the Department of Education wants "clear minutes that show the board" took a motion, second and vote assigning grades to Disnard and Maple, "and that we haven't been able to find." A voice: "Wasn't actually a vote on it." (1:02:56). He needs it "in tonight's minutes" for the October 1 reports and school lunch participation (1:03:07). Rapp moves, describing Maple Avenue "hosting grades two through five" (1:04:18); unanimous (1:04:45). | OBS |
| 1:05:24 | Mascot | Broadrick recommends surveys of students and parents and counting the cost of signs and uniforms (1:05:36 to 1:06:47); Petrin wants students and the elementary schools included (1:06:56); Whitney stresses community identity (1:07:40). | |
| 1:08:08 | Policies | JIHC "was in our packet for review. And it has been posted for the week." (1:08:08); moved to second read. On JKAA, Rapp questions restraint language (1:11:16, 1:11:40); Lewis: "the central messages don't put your hands on kids if you don't need to." (1:15:24). JF, JKAA and GBGA adopted; Whitney votes no (1:16:55). | POS |
| 1:18:01 | Facilities and capital | Director of Facilities job description drafted (1:18:01 to 1:18:45). Madden: "Our paperwork, not surprisingly, like everywhere else, is not up to date." The administration will keep the asset inventory; a five-year plan and federal documentation to follow (1:20:09). | |
| 1:21:53 | Finance Subcommittee | The chair: the subcommittee met September 15 for 2.5 hours and "next meeting, in nonpublic, we would like to discuss, some ideas of where you think the budget should go and some guidelines for the administration" (1:21:53). Budget meetings November 5 and 17 and December 9; the budget to the board December 16, adoption at the first January meeting (1:22:36 to 1:23:47). | OBS |
| 1:25:12 | Scoreboards and social media | On the donated scoreboards, Broadrick: "They'll be installed Wednesday." He had called the seller (1:25:42, 1:25:45). Rapp: the athletics Facebook page is "pretty much non-existent" this season (1:26:06). Broadrick: district accounts should be run by the district, and promotion should be equitable across sports (1:27:37 to 1:29:57). | |
| 1:30:18 | Priority policies | Whitney asks for policies governing what information the board gets and when, and notes the vacancy-appointment process "was essentially nonexistent in the policy." (1:31:01). Howard: fewer than 25 priority policies this year, 15-plus done (1:32:38). | |
| 1:33:16 | Retiree health insurance | Broadrick: FY27 cost "a total of $33,360 to the district", about $13,900 more for five months next year at current premiums (1:33:16, 1:33:43); whether Unity shares it is unresolved (1:34:04). | |
| 1:37:04 | Nonpublic session | Motion, second by Lavalette, Rapp's prompt to state the ground (1:37:16), a garbled citation (1:37:28), roll call (1:37:35). The chair: "we don't anticipate any action after this nonpublic." (1:37:46). | MED |
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 September 16, 2026, or is labeled an observation where no verified rule applies.
HIGH The FY22 audit remains unfinished: 11 of 18 corrective actions drafted, board approval targeted for late October
The superintendent reports "we're at 11 out of 18" (0:27:49) and aims to have the rest drafted "by the end of October" so the board can approve them and the auditors can "finalize the 22 audit" (0:28:10). FY22 ended June 30, 2022. For a single audit, 2 CFR 200.512(a)(1) (2022 edition) set the reporting package due nine months after the period, March 31, 2023, and 2 CFR 200.511(c) has the auditee prepare the corrective action plan "At the completion of the audit" (regulation text). The FY22 findings include federal-grant compliance (finding 2022-018, per the September 2 draft plan), which points to a single audit, though the threshold test for FY22 is not shown in this record. Under RSA 198:4-d, ¶VIII as reenacted by 2026 N.H. Laws ch. 272, the FY26 audit report is due March 31, 2027, with FY23 to FY25 still behind it. The same condition is flagged on the September 2 page, together with the overdue DOE-25, which the October 7 agenda carries as an update item. Mitigation: the backlog predates this administration, and the corrective actions are being written in the auditors' format with named owners and dates.
Sources: 2 CFR 200.512(a)(1), 2022 edition; 2 CFR 200.511(c), 2022 edition; 2026 N.H. Laws ch. 272, RSA 198:4-d, ¶VIII; Corrective Actions - Claremont FY22 Audit - Sept 16 2026 DRAFT.docx.pdf
MEDIUM The draft minutes leave out a vote tally, a decision, a nominee, and all times
RSA 91-A:2, II requires minutes to record final decisions, "the start time and end time of the meeting, and name of the person who produced the minutes", and "The names of the members who made or seconded each motion" (statute text; the time and producer clauses are 2025, 112:1, eff. Aug. 22, 2025). In the September 16 draft: the JF, JKAA and GBGA adoption reads "In favor:" with nothing after it and "Opposed: Heather Whitney" (minutes text), so the result is not stated; the teacher nomination reads only HW, LH, with no nominee and no vote (minutes text), against a ratification on tape at 1:17:46; the $3,000 grant entry lists "Brian Rapp, Don Lavalette" (minutes text) with no amount, motion or result, against the acceptance at 0:27:39; there is no call-to-order, nonpublic or adjournment time and no producer named; and the grade-level motion reads Maple Avenue "grades 3-5" (minutes text) where the recording has "two through five" (1:04:18), which is probably a transcription slip but should be checked against the recording before approval. The nonpublic session is covered in flag 3. Mitigation: the draft was filed within five business days and records attendance, Whitney's arrival time, Representative Damon's comments and most movers and seconders.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (contents of minutes; movers and seconders); 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes.pdf
MEDIUM The nonpublic session is missing from the minutes, and no nonpublic minutes were found
RSA 91-A:3, I(b) requires the motion to "state on its face the specific exemption" and a roll-call vote; ¶III requires nonpublic minutes to be disclosed within 72 hours unless sealed by a recorded two-thirds vote taken in public session; and RSA 91-A:2, II makes the minutes of "all such meetings, including nonpublic sessions" carry names, subjects and decisions (statute text). On tape a motion is seconded (1:37:13); only after Rapp says "We need to state the specific." does a voice read a citation the transcript renders as "Dash a column three. Two. Eight." (1:37:28), which matches paragraph II(a) of the agenda's a&k but cannot be confirmed as stating (k); the mover is not identifiable; six of seven Yes answers are audible (1:37:35 to 1:37:46). The public draft minutes record nothing of the session: no motion, mover, seconder, roll call, times, decision or return. No nonpublic minutes for September 16 appear in the packet folder or, per MAP.md's check of September 24, in the 2027 Non-Public folder; this page's own Drive searches were inconclusive because the search tool under-reports. The recording ends inside the session, so a sealing vote after it cannot be ruled out. On the subject: the superintendent moved the forensic-audit scope into this session while calling it "a valid public conversation" (0:26:11); II(a) covers employee discipline and investigation of charges, and II(k) tuition contracts, so a scope discussion fits only if it turns on specific employees. Severity follows the run's rule for a noticed meeting whose minutes are missing: MEDIUM. Mitigation: the chair said no action was expected.
Sources: RSA 91-A:3, I(b), II(a), II(k), III; RSA 91-A:2, II; 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes.pdf
MEDIUM The Region 10 career and technical education agreement has not been renewed as the statute requires
RSA 188-E:1-a, I requires each CTE region's receiving and sending entities to be governed by a regional agreement "which will be renewed every 4 years and submitted to the commissioner for review and approval" (statute text; 2022, 272:2, eff. July 1, 2022). The superintendent says the Region 10 agreement "does not appear to me to have been renewed appropriately upon expiration" (0:44:36); a member says renewal "was never done right" (0:45:29), and the chair that the board "Never took any action." (0:45:36). His view that the commissioner is extending it year by year because Perkins money keeps flowing is his inference; RSA 188-E:1-a as read for this page contains no such extension clause, and other sections of chapter 188-E were not checked. The same meeting heard that Newport, in the same region, opened an emergency-services program without notice to Claremont and dropped LNA without notice (0:04:59, 0:30:27), the kind of coordination the agreement exists to govern. Mitigation: the superintendent raised it himself and put it on a future agenda.
Sources: RSA 188-E:1-a, I (RCTEA renewed every 4 years; commissioner approval)
OBSERVATION The elementary grade realignment ran for three weeks before the board voted it
School opened in late August with kindergarten through grade 2 at Disnard and grades 3 to 5 at Maple Avenue (0:17:59). The superintendent told the board the Department of Education wants minutes showing a motion, second and vote assigning those grades, "and that we haven't been able to find." (1:02:26); a voice adds "Wasn't actually a vote on it." (1:02:56), and members say the change was tied to the budget (1:03:00). The board voted it unanimously on September 16 (1:04:45). This page did not verify which rule requires a board vote on school grade configuration; the department's request, as reported, is the evidence. The point for the public is that a district-wide change to which school children attend was carried out on the strength of a budget discussion, and recorded as a board decision only after the fact. The motion's wording on tape and in the minutes also differs (see flag 2).
Sources: this recording; Grade Level Alignment - Sept 16 2026.docx.pdf (packet); 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes.pdf
OBSERVATION The superintendent says scanned postings violate federal accessibility law; the federal web rule is not yet in force
At 0:14:22 the superintendent says that when documents are posted as scans the text cannot be read by OCR software, so "We are actually violating a federal regulation or law." The ADA Title II web-accessibility rule, 28 CFR 35.200, requires WCAG 2.1 AA conformance "Beginning April 26, 2027" for public entities of 50,000 or more and "Beginning April 26, 2028" for smaller entities and special district governments (regulation text). For Claremont that date has not arrived, so this page does not treat current scans as a violation of that rule; other disability-access duties were not assessed. The practical point stands: the treasurer confirms manifests are not yet available to the public (0:16:22), and the district's own corrective-action draft promises PDFs of approved manifests "uploaded to a public folder on the school district website" by December 31, 2026 (September 2 packet document).
Sources: 28 CFR 35.200(b) (compliance dates, as amended 2026); Corrective Actions draft, September 2, finding 2022-008
OBSERVATION The Bluff School and Masonic Temple sales have no visible process
Asked about the two properties, the superintendent reports one email inquiry about the Bluff School and says of the Masonic Temple "I can't say that I've done anything to try to promote the sale of." (1:00:49); members cannot say whether either is listed or who the earlier interested parties were (1:00:59 to 1:01:49). RSA 194:61 makes any sale or lease of unused district facilities subject to an approved chartered public school's right of first refusal and requires the superintendent to report each unused facility to the Department of Education every July 1 (2021, 186:1; 2023, 198:3). Nothing in this record shows that step has been taken. No sale has occurred, so this is an observation about what a sale will need, not a finding.
Sources: RSA 194:61 (unused facilities; charter school right of first refusal)
OBSERVATION A $2,000 gift for the tech center sits as credit at a local business, not in district accounts
The principal says the donor "put $2,000 in Lovell's and an account for you" for the tech center's use (0:43:41); the minutes name the business "Lavalley's" (minutes text). The gift was announced on the agenda and recorded in the minutes, which is what RSA 198:20-b, III(b) asks for gifts under $20,000, and board policy as described sets a vote threshold of $2,500 (0:27:04). A balance held at a vendor is not in the treasurer's custody and will not pass through a manifest; the principal herself said "I got to make sure we get this approved before we before we use it." (0:44:09). How spending from it will be documented is the open question.
Sources: RSA 198:20-b, III (notice of unanticipated funds; under $20,000, agenda and minutes notice); RSA 197:23-a (treasurer's custody)
OBSERVATION The Finance Subcommittee plans to take budget guidance into nonpublic session
The chair reports that at the next meeting "in nonpublic, we would like to discuss, some ideas of where you think the budget should go and some guidelines for the administration" (1:21:53); the minutes say the subcommittee "Would like to discuss with the Board further in non-public in the next meeting" (minutes text). RSA 91-A:3, I(a) bars nonpublic sessions "except for one of the purposes set out in paragraph II" (statute text), and none of those purposes covers general budget direction. Strategy for collective bargaining is a different matter: RSA 91-A:2, I(a) excludes it from the definition of a meeting altogether, and the chair mentioned negotiations in the same breath (1:22:36). Which of the two the board means will decide whether the October 7 plan is lawful. This flag looks forward; nothing has happened yet.
Sources: RSA 91-A:3, I(a) and II; RSA 91-A:2, I(a) (collective-bargaining strategy excluded from meeting)
POSITIVE $680,447.22 in grant reimbursements claimed before the federal deadline
The curriculum director lists claims back to December 2024 and a total of $680,447.22 recovered since July (0:20:22), with 2024–25 claims closing September 30 (0:21:42). Federal education formula funds stay available for obligation one additional fiscal year under 20 U.S.C. §1225(b), the mechanism behind a claim-by-September-30 deadline; the board was told plainly how much remains (about $2 million estimated, 0:22:08) and how little time (0:22:28). The chair tied it to the district's history of reporting grant revenue it had not received (0:23:16), the problem the September 2 meeting also discussed.
Sources: 20 U.S.C. §1225(b) (carryover of federal education funds)
POSITIVE The first-read policy was posted a week ahead, and the board corrected its own minutes in public
Two weeks after a member objected that the public could not see first-read policies, the chair notes that JIHC "was in our packet for review. And it has been posted for the week." (1:08:08), and the agenda links each policy text. Lavalette's corrections to the September 2 minutes (0:03:53 to 0:06:56) put on the record the 5 to 2 hat vote and his Right-to-Know request, and the chair confirmed the five-business-day rule of RSA 91-A:2, II aloud (0:07:36, 0:07:37); the draft for this meeting was filed on the fourth business day.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (minutes within five business days); CSB Agenda - September 16 2026
Appendix: source files
Official and public sources
- Cablecast: Claremont School Board - 9/16/26 (show 17594)
- Drive folder 7. 9.16.26 - School Board Documents (27 documents per MAP.md). Documents used here:
- CSB Agenda - September 16 2026 (live Google Doc)
- 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes.pdf
- Corrective Actions - Claremont FY22 Audit - Sept 16 2026 DRAFT.docx.pdf
- Grade Level Alignment - Sept 16 2026.docx.pdf
- Also in the folder, not relied on here: the superintendent's and finance reports, the curriculum director's report, the recovery-plan draft, the annotated by-laws, the LNA press release, the SRVRTC enrollment report and donation memo, the mascot memo and Ian Gates letter, the facilities job description, seven policy PDFs, the NHSBA nonpublic checklist, policy BEDH, the September 2 draft and nonpublic minutes, and the October 7 draft agenda
- Minutes: draft only, above. No nonpublic minutes for this meeting were located (see flag 3). Update (2026-10-23): the draft is now also in the 2027 Meeting Minutes folder as 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes and a second Google Doc with the same name, and the October 21 packet carries a PDF copy, 9.16.26 DRAFT CSB Meeting Minutes (1).pdf. The board approved these minutes, with corrections, on the October 21 consent agenda without a motion or vote (October 21, 2026 page). No nonpublic minutes for this meeting were found in that check either. Update (2026-10-29): the first of the two Google Docs has since been renamed 9.16.26 Approved CSB Meeting Minutes in the 2027 Meeting Minutes folder; the second still carries the DRAFT name.
- Added to the packet folder after this page was built (seen 2026-10-23): CSD Treasurer's report_08.2026.pdf. As of that date the folder listed 26 documents;
NHSBA Nonpublic Checklist (1).pdf and DRAFT CSB Agenda - October 7 2026 were no longer listed under those names.
Project files
Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.
Dialogue/17594 SchoolBoard091626.mp4.CSV (596 attributed rows; the basis of this page)Input/Videos/17594 SchoolBoard091626.mp4Input/Transcripts/17594 SchoolBoard091626.mp4.jsonInput/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 314
Laws and standards cited on this page
- RSA 91-A:2, I(a) and II: collective-bargaining strategy excluded from meeting; contents and timing of minutes (2025, 112:1, eff. Aug. 22, 2025)
- RSA 91-A:3, I(a)-(b), II(a), II(k), III: nonpublic sessions (2023, 189:1)
- RSA 188-E:1-a: regional CTE agreements renewed every 4 years (2022, 272:2; 2025, 229:1, 2)
- RSA 194:61: unused district facilities (2021, 186:1; 2023, 198:3)
- RSA 198:20-b, III: unanticipated funds (2023, 38:1)
- RSA 197:23-a: treasurer's custody of district money
- 2026 N.H. Laws ch. 272 (SB 586), approved July 2, 2026, eff. July 1, 2026: RSA 198:4-d, ¶VIII audit within 9 months
- 2 CFR 200.512(a)(1) and 2 CFR 200.511(c), 2022 edition
- 28 CFR 35.200(b): ADA Title II web accessibility compliance dates (April 26, 2027 / April 26, 2028)
- 20 U.S.C. §1225(b): carryover of federal education funds