Board members spent a substantial portion of the meeting discussing two linked blocks of business: (1) several draft warrant articles to place before voters and (2) the state’s open‑enrollment law and its potential local effects.

On warrants, staff previewed Article 11 (capital reserve fund consolidation and language to permit future appropriations), Article 12 (fund‑balance retention) and Article 13 (a full‑day kindergarten transition). Staff presented initial cost estimates: Article 13’s first‑year transition cost was listed as $271,000.12 with estimated tax impacts per town (Atkinson 4¢, Danville 8¢, Plaistow 4¢, Sandown 7¢). After discussion, Board member Don moved, and Shauna seconded, a motion to set the fund‑balance retention percentage at 2.5%; the motion passed with one abstention.

Separately, administrators briefed the board on Title 15, chapter 194 (open‑enrollment districts). They explained that (a) sending districts remain the LEA for special‑education obligations for students who attend open‑enrollment schools and (b) a recent New Hampshire Supreme Court decision confirmed sending districts’ fiscal responsibilities; staff noted the district must include a line item for open‑enrollment in the budget. Board members considered both potential benefits (expanded access to CTE or arts programs and reciprocal arrangements with nearby districts) and risks (forecasting uncertainty, potential net fiscal loss because statutes cap payments at a percentage of average per‑pupil cost, and added administrative burden). Several members urged caution and recommended building a plan before placing open‑enrollment on a warrant.