Claremont
The meeting opened with a 30-minute presentation by Superintendent Middleton McGoodwin on the budget and other warrant articles with another 45 minutes spent adopting the articles.
The $34.7 million budget includes the operating portion of $31.28 million, which is $152,000 less than this year. Also in the budget are one-year contracts for teachers for $268,000 and for administrators of $29,700.
“The contract we agreed on is very fair. This is an important contract for our teachers,” said School Board Chairman Brian Rapp, who was part of the negotiating team for the school district. “They do a lot of hard work and deserve this.”
When it came time for residents to comment for or against the budget, Cynthia Howard, a spending hawk, was the only one to speak. She criticized the board because the default budget — $34.8 million — is more than proposed budget and would result in a higher tax rate increase if it is implemented.
“Maybe there should be a state law to eliminate the default budget so voters have a real choice,” Howard said. “It is preposterous to have a default budget.”
Howard also was critical of the pay raises in one-year collective bargaining agreement for teachers, who will receive a $1,250 increase plus move up a step, and a longevity payment for anyone with 18 years or more with the district.
“Seems like you are asking more from taxpayers every year,” said Howard, who also thought the contract should be in a separate warrant article.
If voters pass the budget and all other appropriations, the projected tax rate increase is 13 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, the net result of a five cent decrease for expenses and an 18 cent increase on the revenue side because of less state aid.
The other articles include three-year collective bargaining agreements for paraprofessionals, maintenance and custodial employees and secretaries. Security upgrades for $141,000 and roof repairs for $100,000 are the final two articles.
SAU 6 Business Administrator Mike O’Neill said repairs to the roofs for the district’s schools is a 10-year project but once it is complete, the roofs have a 30 to 40 year life span.
Also on the March 14 ballot are contested School Board races with incumbents Frank Sprague and Alex Herzog hoping to retain their three-year seats against former School Board member Richard Seaman, David Pacetti and Mike Petrin. Candidates seeking to serve the final year of the three-year seat of Brent Ferland, who is leaving the board after the March 14 vote, are Mike Cirre and Rebecca Zullo.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
