Deliberative session: Londonderry moves operating budget, teacher and staff contracts, and capital reserves to the ballot

Londonderry officials moved the district operating budget and multiple warrant articles to the March 11 ballot after a deliberative session in which the school board and the budget committee discussed budget details, collective bargaining agreements and capital reserve funds.

The session approved sending the operating budget (warrant article 3) to the ballot and recorded committee recommendations on several other articles, including teacher and allied‑health professional collective bargaining agreements, funding for the school lunch program and federal projects, and capital reserve additions for buildings and grounds, technology infrastructure, equipment, and vehicle/machinery purchases.

Operating budget: The school administration presented an operating budget option A of roughly $89.1 million for fiscal year 2025–26. Administration said the proposed budget is about $33,000 lower than last year’s approved budget and about $123,000 under the default budget. Superintendent Jan Blake and staff cited one‑time costs that dropped out and lower staffing costs from turnover as drivers that helped hold the total flat; they also highlighted increased special‑education placements and transportation costs as upward pressures.

The Budget Committee voted 7‑0 in favor of option A. The budget article will appear on the March 11 ballot as presented.

Collective bargaining: Warrant article 4 asked voters to approve the cost items in the collective bargaining agreement with the Londonderry Education Association (teachers). The school board reported a 5‑0 vote in favor of placing the contract on the ballot and the budget committee reported a 7‑0 recommendation. Article 5, the bargaining agreement for the Londonderry Association of Allied Health Professionals, likewise was reported by the board as 5‑0 and by the budget committee as 7‑0.

School nutrition and federal projects: Article 8 asked voters to appropriate funds to a special revenue fund for the school lunch program ($1,716,000) and federal projects ($1,579,000), a combined $3,295,000; both the school board and budget committee reported unanimous support. Officials said the article is self‑supporting through federal and state revenues and has no tax impact.

Capital reserves and equipment: The board and committee moved several capital reserve articles to the ballot with no tax impact because the money would come from fund balance: $520,000 for Buildings & Grounds capital reserve (Article 8 [later number changes in packet]), $125,000 for Technology Network Infrastructure reserve (Article 9), $95,000 to an Equipment reserve to be funded from the June 30, 2025 fund balance (Article 10), and up to $50,000 for Vehicle and Machinery reserve (Article 11) — the latter was described as funding a replacement box truck for instrument/equipment moves and a mower.

Procedure and next steps: For many of these articles moderators and attendees moved to restrict reconsideration, and the moderator recorded those procedural actions as passed. The articles will appear on the March 11 ballot; voters will approve budgets and any cost items by the methods required on the ballot.