Public asks for board oversight of grants; Weare district awarded Farm-to-School grant

During public comment at the Oct. 21 meeting, resident Neil Kirk asked the Weare School Board for an assurance that the board would be notified and given an opportunity to review the terms of grants before the superintendent accepts awards that might bind the district to conditions.

"Sometimes these grants have strings attached," Kirk said. "If you get this money, you have to do that. I'm concerned that the strings might be something that you folks don't wish. Is there some mechanism by which whatever the superintendent does can be, in fact, notify you first?"

Board members responded that grants and their terms can be placed on a future agenda for board review. "Would you like us at the next meeting to present about the grant and the workings behind there?" a board member asked; the board agreed to schedule a discussion of grants and grant-acceptance processes at a future meeting so trustees could better understand potential conditions and reporting expectations.

Separately, Chris and school staff said the district received a Farm-to-School grant from the New Hampshire Department of Education worth nearly $6,000 to support gardening at Center Woods. Jessica (school staff) said teachers Heather Scholl and Kate Rogers led the application and plan to use grant funds for student garden activities, cooking elements and some community engagement; the administration said it will seek parent or community volunteers for summer or heavier-maintenance work the grant cannot cover.

The board agreed to place a fuller presentation and discussion of grant process oversight on a future agenda so trustees can review how the superintendent and administration evaluate conditional obligations before accepting awards.