The Newfields School District on Thursday revised the bond amount for a planned school safety project to $1,400,000 after extensive public comment and board discussion.

The decision narrows an original “not to exceed” figure of $1,867,565 to $1.4 million for a project the district has discussed over the past 18 months to change the traffic pattern at Newfields School, relocate a crosswalk, add a parent‑pickup entrance and parking, and construct ADA‑compliant access from the new lot to the building.

District presenters said the work responds to multiple safety concerns: limited crosswalk visibility, cars and buses turning close to classroom windows, lack of sidewalks for students moving between the playground and the main entrance, and the need to bring existing access out of “grandfathered” status into ADA compliance. The project team showed a site sketch and described how earthwork, drainage, retaining walls and paving compose the bulk of the cost.

Molly (finance contact) explained how the bond would be structured through the New Hampshire bond bank and showed three hypothetical repayment schedules (three-, five- and seven-year terms). She said the first fiscal year payment in all sample schedules would be mostly interest — listed in the packet as $46,689.13 — and cited conservative interest assumptions drawn from recent bond‑bank sales. Molly said the district plans to include a construction manager in the procurement process after the warrant article, which she and other staff said would refine the project scope and cost during bidding.

Residents pressed the board for clearer cost breakdowns. Several attendees, including Kevin Riley and John Hayden, urged the district to gather multiple contractor bids or line‑item estimates for “earthwork,” which they said drove the largest single cost line. Some residents suggested lower‑cost alternatives (a gravel parking surface, a limited sidewalk-only fix) and noted ongoing concerns about long‑term maintenance and snow removal costs for any new lot. Project consultants cited demolition of existing tanks, removal of stumps, installation of drainage features and a proposed retaining wall as items that substantially increase the earthwork estimate.

After questions and a discussion of budget risk and public acceptance, the board voted to reduce the warrant article amount. The board also instructed staff to request updated bond schedules from the bond bank for the revised amount and to post the amended warrant language in advance of the deliberative session.

The board and staff characterized the change as an attempt to respond to public concern about total cost while keeping the project scope focused on student safety, ADA access and traffic separation.

Ending: The amended warrant amount will be posted with the district’s warrant documents and the district will move forward with procurement planning and updated bond schedules before the deliberative session.