Manchester aldermen debate making school district a city department

Members of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Administration and Information Systems debated whether to make the city school district a department of the city, centering on timeline, state statutory limits and how much budget authority a future mayor would hold. The committee voted to direct staff to bring draft amendments and a legal review to the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen for consideration.

Committee members pressed for concrete details about what a change would mean for operations, which state statutes (RSAs) would apply, and how quickly any change could be implemented if voters approve it. City Solicitor Emily Rice told the committee that a package of proposed amendments could be drafted but stressed those proposals must comply with the many RSAs that govern school districts. "We can call it a…