Henniker to place operating budget, support-staff contract and $50,000 maintenance fund on March ballot

Superintendent Jacqueline Coe said the proposed operating budget for fiscal 2025–26 is $10,728,832 and that the default budget calculation would be $10,663,175 if voters reject the article in March. Coe outlined drivers of the $291,019 proposed increase, including contract and benefit costs and a new transportation contract.

Why it matters: The district’s proposals, if approved by voters at the second session on March 11, would raise the operating budget above the default, lock in a five-year transportation agreement and add a maintenance trust-fund appropriation. Coe and other speakers described the fiscal trade-offs voters will consider, including an estimated tax impact on a sample house.

The meeting moved through Articles 1–5 and closed discussion on each to send them to the ballot as presented. Article 1, which asks whether the Henniker School District shall receive the printed annual reports of agents, auditors, committees and other officers, had no discussion and was ordered to go on the March ballot as presented.

On the operating budget (Article 3), Coe said the proposed operating budget is $10,728,832; the proposed increase over the current voter-approved budget is $291,019 (a 2.79% increase). Coe identified the largest components of the increase as salary changes tied to the second year of the Henniker Teachers Association contract, a shift of $78,000 from contracted speech services into an in‑house speech salary line, a $36,648 increase for paraeducator support for emotional/behavior needs, and benefits increases driven principally by a 10.7% rise in health-insurance rates. Coe said total benefits increases in the presentation equal $123,478.

Coe also described transportation costs: the district received bids and will enter a five-year contract with Student Transportation of America. Year 1 of that contract contains a 10.8% increase compared with current year costs; years 2–5 have 5.4% increases. Coe said the year‑1 increase of roughly $36,855 will affect special-education and athletic transportation lines as well. She noted the transportation increase is included in the proposed budget but not in the default calculation.

A moderator’s clarification established that if voters reject the proposed budget and the default is used, the district would need to account for the contract increases within the default amount or return to voters at a special meeting to revise the operating budget.

After discussion the moderator declared Article 3 closed and ordered it to go on the ballot as presented. A motion to restrict reconsideration of Article 3 was made and seconded; after a voice/raised-card vote the moderator announced, “Reconsideration is restricted on Article 3.” (The transcript records the motion, second and the moderator’s announcement but does not record individual vote tallies.)

Article 4 asks voters to approve the cost items in a three‑year collective bargaining agreement between the school board and community school support staff (secretaries, custodians and paraeducators). A presenter summarized the agreement as front‑loaded, with larger costs in year 1. The proposed grid raises the paraeducator starting hourly rate from $16 to $17.50 in year 1 and increases the top step to $28 over a 15‑step grid, with 50¢ step increases annually; other support staff would receive $1.50/hour increases. The article would raise and appropriate $134,069 for fiscal 2025–26 to cover the first-year costs attributable to the contract.

When asked how many employees the contract covers, the meeting was given the figure of 28 paraeducators and 8 other support staff. The presenter said the changes aim to make the district more competitive with neighboring districts that commonly offer health benefits and retirement contributions to similar positions.

After questions the moderator noted Article 4 is open for discussion but not subject to amendment at the session; the article was declared closed and will go on the ballot as presented.

Article 5 would raise and appropriate up to $50,000 to add to the Henniker School District building-maintenance fund using year-end fund balance available for transfer as of July 1, 2025. School Board member Matt Center described near-term capital needs (exterior painting or siding options, handicap access at a kindergarten entrance and other maintenance items) and said the district currently has roughly $112,000 in the fund. Center gave a sample tax calculation: "for instance if your house was a $350,000 house you're talking about another $224 in property tax" if the full warrant package and articles as proposed are approved. A town/district staff member explained that the year-end fund balance is the leftover amount from revenues and expenditures at fiscal year end and is typically used to reduce the following year’s tax rate.

The meeting closed discussion on Article 5 and ordered it to the ballot as presented. A motion to restrict reconsideration on Article 5 was made, seconded and approved by raised-card vote; the moderator announced that reconsideration was restricted.

Votes at a glance

- Article 1 (receive printed annual reports): no discussion; ordered to ballot as presented. - Article 2 (set salaries and compensation for school board/officers): no discussion; ordered to ballot as presented. - Article 3 (raise and appropriate operating budget of $10,728,832): discussion held; declared closed and ordered to ballot as presented; motion to restrict reconsideration passed. - Article 4 (approve cost items in three‑year collective bargaining agreement for support staff; raise $134,069 for FY2025–26): discussed; declared closed and ordered to ballot as presented. - Article 5 (raise up to $50,000 to building maintenance fund from year‑end fund balance): discussed; declared closed and ordered to ballot as presented; motion to restrict reconsideration passed.

What’s next: The moderator recessed the meeting until the second session and official ballot voting on March 11.