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Parents and residents urge budget committee to preserve curriculum investments, warn against deep cuts
Summary
Parents, teachers and students urged the Merrimack School District budget committee to avoid steep cuts, citing early literacy gains from new reading materials and praising assistant superintendent Amy Doyle; speakers said state funding shifts and federal shortfalls make local choices consequential.
Several residents who spoke during the public‑comment portion of the Merrimack School District budget committee meeting urged members not to pare back recent curriculum and staffing investments, saying early results show academic gains and that cuts would harm students.
Sherry (addressed at the mic as 5 Portside Drive) said the district’s new reading curriculum produced “night and day” improvement for her children and thanked Assistant Superintendent Amy Doyle for leading changes. “We cannot punish the children of Merrimack because the state has decided to give us less funding for education,” she said, urging the committee to preserve programs even as taxpayers face pressure.
Student speaker Olivia Grobecker, who identified herself as a third‑grader, told the committee she likes programs such as Mystery Science and Foundations and asked that those programs be retained for younger students.
Several other commenters emphasized concerns about rising property taxes while supporting strong schools. Heather Robitay (45 Springfield Circle), who described herself as a substitute teacher and parent, warned that state funding formulas and proposed reductions at the state level could shift more costs onto local taxpayers and urged residents to contact state legislators. “We do not need to stay fiftieth with public education funding in the country,” she said, asking for accountability in Concord.
School board members and administrators were in the room to hear comments. Laurie Peters, chair of the School Board, told residents that decisions about curriculum are made by the school board and administration and encouraged anyone concerned about state funding to contact their legislators. She also noted that districts across New Hampshire are seeking federal and state fixes for special‑education shortfalls.
The committee did not take formal votes on those programs at the meeting; members invited the public to return for future meetings as the budget review continues.
