[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6211229,"mediaKeyId","3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606","parentId",3699303,"title","Board considers targeted retirement buyouts and other cost measures as budget pressures rise","audioSeconds",662,"startMs",4844000,"endMs",5506000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606&start=4844&end=5506","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606/thumbnail_4844000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211229/New-Hampshire/Board-considers-targeted-retirement-buyouts-and-other-cost-measures-as-budget-pressures-rise","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211229-f54dcd382c89d279b95646cee22a7049/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771197&Signature=cCe5EiIV0xWLQrILnpg5-BpKiUFM91wF3Pzo8HkDjm0lBDcRmHIQXbL44XBr2drtTpXTGNSPm7moYYXBqHDEtp~6FG3y0x2osTB61l2HWbWeas-0-QPvmB9NSdD5A1CTtkpnh7ikns3jwVMDbyoehQg6x96~zrdxD2i0A6atSjFdWyTCw-bwQw-6l4bOiIf8dtOWaPH7~l2UJV-JaGXY-zHOh2K6ip72E~WsiEeMfGkrZGqyIWCyz35Qr8O~7tiVY9HkAE5S-gE7fEi1zJO4elDm0UiuzomrzqZpGmA-IIiDJSM1SyduUmjrhuGTqUNrWVor1kRDsmj81QPf~fpNQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bedford School District NH","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","School Board members on May 19 asked district staff to draft a targeted retirement incentive and to identify programmatic and revenue options to respond to long‑term budget pressures.

Retirement incentive: Board members reviewed a 2012 precedent in which the district funded up to six one‑time retirement incentives (maximum then $20,000 each) and asked administration to prepare a contemporary proposal. The objective would be to offer voluntary, targeted incentives that could produce budget savings by replacing high‑salary incumbents with less‑expensive hires or, where appropriate, not refilling positions.

Administrators said they will analyze candidate pools, staffing risk and financial impact and consult labor counsel and the Bedford Education Association (BEA) about implementation. Superintendent Mike Horner noted the district is required by the existing contract to fund the top three retirements annually but that an additional board‑offered incentive could provide choice to members who otherwise would not qualify.

Other cost and revenue ideas: Board members and staff discussed other measures, including a more systematic approach to grant writing and community fundraising, efforts to repurpose donated or low‑cost equipment, and exploring tuition or tuition‑agreement options with neighboring districts to attract additional students. The board discussed one model in which tuition students could add state aid and local tuition revenue without immediate staff increases, but staff flagged legal and programmatic constraints and recommended further review.

Process and next steps: District staff will produce estimates and scenarios, including how many retirements a buyout program would allow, the cost, and the net fiscal effect over multiple years; they will run analyses to identify any concentrated loss of experience and propose guardrails to avoid undermining school‑level instructional capacity. The board asked for a formal proposal with spreadsheets and a recommended implementation path before any public or labor negotiations.

Ending: The board agreed to receive a staff proposal and financial model and to delay any decision until the fall budget and labor‑relations planning cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Planning Session Monday May 19 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board asked staff to develop a proposal for a limited retirement incentive/buyout and to identify other revenue and cost-saving options — from targeted grant pursuit to tuitioning arrangements — while stressing the need to protect program delivery and staffing balance.","taxTitle","Bedford School District, School Districts, New Hampshire","taxId",55207,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6211233,"Bedford principals report full‑day kindergarten staffing and enrollment plans; reconfiguration raises cost concerns",674,1874000,2548000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606&start=1874&end=2548","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606/thumbnail_1874000.jpg","/articles/6211233/New-Hampshire/Bedford-principals-report-fullday-kindergarten-staffing-and-enrollment-plans-reconfiguration-raises-cost-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211233-422f510ca36df177b19e2c2cd7ddaccb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771197&Signature=URcEpeQjOrxNg-EwM5FE462u7JJU1OwmFH7Jzn8oI9hx5r95r~hLJGIUPa1u6WzKEJJGEvavQBS9Qdwjm7JaNHIUZc-~r4zh0xbA7WDtxg26qboKiA1zXV2XRSB~fUKsKKgE520z1tn4uMciz3u5Aiu-N3Urd1lNrBhhGBVxmoVrm16q-PnsTBBr3hHgc4GCdzqjNPHnpWXUsOem66L4NoF3-7m7SCNdT6XIF-7Uarj83y1CFdpWI8ZVpBYkDVawTdTT7-WdiqFzPW8tYeXA2fbaDRGbU~QwW4zRhU9QbVTVX7j1ibn1~1f0AR3zjXUwUFA2HLsa8V9IBH3cH63WWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bedford School District principals and administrators briefed the School Board on May 19 about full‑day kindergarten enrollments, staffing plans and options for grade reconfiguration. School leaders said they are staffing to the district’s enrollment triggers and that a planned reconfiguration of elementary grades would not yield immediate savings once transportation and special‑education requirements are included.

Enrollment and staffing: Principals Molly McCarthy (Bridal Brook), the principal identified as \"Phil\" (Memorial), and others reported the district is adding sections where enrollments have met board thresholds. McCarthy and Phil told the board their buildings have been approved for an additional fourth kindergarten section after enrollments reached thresholds; principals said they moved existing positions where feasible rather than immediately creating multiple new hires.

The board uses an enrollment‑trigger approach for staffing kindergarten: when a classroom reaches 22 students, the district adds a teacher (22 → one teacher; 44 → two; 66 → three; 67 triggers a fourth teacher). That rule guided principals’ decisions about moving a first‑grade position down to kindergarten at one school to avoid hiring multiple new teachers.

Reconfiguration analysis: The board discussed a proposal to consolidate grades by school (for example, locating all K–1 students at one building and 2–3 at another) to reduce staff counts. District staff presented a high‑level analysis showing possible reductions of six regular‑education teachers under an idealized reconfiguration, but warned of offsetting increases in special‑education staff and transportation costs.

Key cost drivers: The district estimated reconfiguration would require up to eight additional buses (costing about $614,000) plus three vans (about $230,000) for a roughly $845,000 increase in annual transportation costs; staff also said reconfiguration could force replication of intensive‑needs special‑education programs at multiple sites, which could mean adding roughly four special‑education positions. In that scenario the net staffing reduction would be small (a net loss of about two teachers) while bus and van costs would lift the district into a higher net cost position.

Program and policy tradeoffs: Principals and board members discussed whether to offer a half‑day kindergarten option for the few families who prefer it; they noted transportation logistics, program consistency and equity concerns. School leaders also described planned professional development and joint planning for full‑day kindergarten teachers this summer to align curriculum, assessment and student transitions to first grade.

Ending: Board members asked administrators to continue tracking enrollments through July, hold placement letters until early July where possible, and return in August with refined staffing estimates and recommendations for whether to pursue bond or operating budget options to fund remaining capital needs.","Principals told the board they have added sections and shifted staff to support full‑day kindergarten; the board discussed transportation, class‑size triggers and a proposal to reconfigure elementary grades but staff analysis showed the reconfiguration would likely increase, not reduce, costs because of added busing and special‑education needs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6211238,"Bedford outlines $4 million HVAC bond work, expects summer installs, extra costs",426,176000,602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606&start=176&end=602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699303-f55ea4c9377ce98b6bcbcb40979ef606/thumbnail_176000.jpg","/articles/6211238/New-Hampshire/Bedford-outlines-4-million-HVAC-bond-work-expects-summer-installs-extra-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211238-f259b4ed8b1f8d758cfe66893ec53bff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771197&Signature=Gq4AQvGC9ul~u~nNFyp-ogNIwLBeB~f0ILAeTi1bu1G7uUHOp56Lxlap9jlxeqkVhVifPZxWNZlyAICVgKEpj6GjZj-IpIsjU-u3p8l5~IJCdwo2wk3Mdmn21UdvuEgMl6tEpHHDQ3DY7lHETgnoMliNF30v~6ICgB-AnbRTxIeOm84SmZa~hgeUw9rpPsT1jYelI2il9NJFwzkMi39wQIa7ibDQnzOVt9wd5EakRrc1CXLG6szROit8-UTCQ~cWH~NLslhuB4YhCCnR13x7tWnh7Gc~PixWiGguMIpI8547SDOFyydhnERerlT8eEgR0ezX3SYIvinqBhgyQrm3Jw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bedford School District officials told the School Board on May 19 that most fiscal year 2025 capital projects are complete and that a $4,000,000 HVAC bond program will fund major equipment replacements at four schools this summer. Todd Zollman, the district’s director of maintenance, said the contractor schedule includes crane lifts and rooftop installs beginning June 16.

The bond covers HVAC work at Peter Woodbury, McKelvey, Memorial and Riddle Brook schools; Zollman said crews will replace rooftop ventilation units, unit ventilators and two boilers at Peter Woodbury, replace rooftop units at Memorial and Riddle Brook, and complete remaining work at McKelvey. \"So fiscal 25, all projects are currently either complete. There's one outstanding project, the gymnasium bleacher replacement,\" Zollman said, listing completed FY25 items and the current summer scope.

Why it matters: the district is managing the bond alongside separate grants and operating‑budget repairs, and officials said actual construction bids and supply‑chain costs have raised estimates above earlier projections. Zollman and business administrator Lisa Ambrosio warned that abatement work, change orders and labor/material price increases will consume contingency funds.

Most important details: Zollman said the prior estimate that accompanied the bond had a 20% contingency, which staff now consider low given current market conditions; he noted bids received since 2022–2023 indicate added cost pressure. The district reported a New Hampshire Saves rebate approval of $10,000 for each of two boilers (a $20,000 total credit) and recorded a remaining bond balance of about $184,000 including that rebate. Zollman said some pending projects that were removed from the original bond could add roughly $2.5 million more work if later pursued, but figures are preliminary pending refreshed bids.

Construction logistics and timing: Zollman said equipment for Riddle Brook is staged in the upper parking lot and that the crane work is expected to last about two to two‑and‑a‑half weeks per building. When a board member asked, Zollman confirmed, \"June 16\" as the start date for the heavy lifts at Riddle Brook.

Constraints and next steps: Zollman told the board the district must coordinate staging and parking with the town’s Parks and Recreation department so community users of courts are not blocked during lifts. He also flagged an expected abatement process at Peter Woodbury that will draw contingency funds and noted a pending state or legislative change requiring a construction manager for significant projects, which would increase soft costs.

Board members asked staff to refresh bid estimates and fold pending items into the district’s long‑term Capital Expenditure Plan (CEP) for further review this summer. Zollman said he will update the board with refreshed contractor estimates and anticipated change orders before finalizing FY26 requests.

Ending: District staff recommended caution when packaging additional scope into bond warrants and said they will return to the board in August with updated numbers and a recommended sequence of projects for the next budget cycle.","District maintenance staff briefed the School Board on completed FY25 work and confirmed a $4 million HVAC bond program with summer rooftop unit and boiler installs beginning June 16; officials warned of additional pending work, abatement and change‑order costs and recommended updated bid contingencies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board considers targeted retirement buyouts and other cost measures as budget pressures rise

Bedford principals report full‑day kindergarten staffing and enrollment plans; reconfiguration raises cost concerns

Bedford outlines $4 million HVAC bond work, expects summer installs, extra costs