Henniker annual meeting sets budget, support-staff contract costs and $50,000 building-fund article for March ballot

Cordell Johnston, serving as moderator, presided over the first session of the Henniker School District annual meeting and guided discussion of warrant articles that will be placed on the official ballot for the second session on March 11. Under the district’s SB 2 (official ballot referendum) format, the meeting may debate and amend certain articles but takes no final vote on them tonight.

Article 3: Proposed operating budget The district presented a proposed operating budget of $10,728,832, a $291,019 increase (2.79 percent) over the voter-approved budget in effect. Superintendent Jacqueline Coe summarized major drivers of the increase: salary changes tied to the second year of the Henniker Teachers Association contract, a $78,000 in-sourcing shift that moves contracted speech services into a speech salary line, a $36,648 increase for paraeducator support tied to emotional/behavioral needs, and added middle-school baseball and softball stipend lines. Benefits rose principally because of a 10.7 percent health insurance rate increase, which the administration estimated added $81,084 to benefits costs; dental rates rose about 5 percent (about $7,860). The proposed budget includes a new transportation contract first-year increase of roughly 10.8 percent ($36,855) with Student Transportation of America; later years of that contract are budgeted at 5.4 percent increases. The default budget calculation under SB 2 (the ’default calculation’) was presented at $10,663,175; the delta between proposed and default is $65,656.

Because this is SB 2, the meeting closed debate on Article 3 and the article will appear on the March 11 ballot as presented. A subsequent motion to restrict reconsideration of Article 3 at the deliberative session was moved, seconded and carried by card vote; the moderator declared reconsideration restricted.

Article 4: Cost items in the collective bargaining agreement for community school support staff Article 4 covers the cost items in a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the community school support staff (covering paraeducators, secretaries and custodial staff). The article, which by state law cannot be amended at the deliberative session, specifies the district will raise and appropriate $134,069 for the 2025–26 fiscal year to cover the first-year cost items. Administration described the new support-staff wage grid: paraeducator starting wage moving from $16.00 to $17.50 per hour in year one and rising to $28.00 at year 15 with scheduled 50¢ annual step increases; other support staff would receive a $1.50 per hour increase. The contract covers 28 paraeducators and 8 other support staff as presented by district staff. The article was debated and then closed; it will appear on the ballot as printed.

Article 5: Add up to $50,000 to buildings maintenance fund Article 5 would raise and appropriate up to $50,000 to the Henniker School buildings maintenance fund, to come from year-end fund balance available for transfer on 7/01/2025. Board member Matt Center explained the district currently has roughly $112,000 in the building and maintenance fund and cited forthcoming facility needs such as exterior painting decisions and installation of handicap access at the kindergarten entrance. Officials provided a tax-rate illustration: the full warrant set as presented was described as projecting a roughly $0.64 per thousand increase on the tax rate; using a $350,000 house as an example, the presenters said the combined warrant effect would amount to about $224 annually for that property, while the default scenario would be lower. The motion to restrict reconsideration on Article 5 was moved, seconded and carried by card vote; the moderator declared reconsideration restricted. Article 5 will appear on the March ballot.

Process notes and next steps Moderator Cordell Johnston reiterated that under SB 2 no final votes on warrant articles occur tonight; each article as amended (if amended) will be placed on the ballot for official voting on March 11. Article 4 (collective bargaining cost items) was described as not amendable by law. The meeting recessed until the second session on March 11 for official ballot voting.

Direct quotes in this account are taken from speakers who addressed the meeting: Superintendent Jacqueline Coe and board member Matt Center provided the budget and building-fund explanations; moderator Cordell Johnston explained meeting process and SB 2 procedures.