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Merrimack Valley board backs $51.9 million budget, adds special‑ed and maintenance expendable trusts
Summary
The Merrimack Valley School Board approved a $51,893,330 operating budget (3.3% increase) and separate warrant articles to fund a $500,000 special‑education expendable trust and a $200,000 maintenance expendable trust. Board members cited rising health, retirement and facility costs as the main drivers.
The Merrimack Valley School Board voted to approve a $51,893,330 operating budget and two expendable‑trust warrant articles after a public hearing in which administrators explained cost drivers and residents asked questions about special education and long‑range facility needs.
Tom Laliberte, chair of the district finance committee, read Article 4 and described the proposed operating appropriation as ‘‘the sum of $51,893,330’’ and a roughly 3.3 percent increase from the adjusted 2026 budget. Laliberte told attendees the rise—about $1.7 million—reflects several pressures, most notably health and dental insurance increases, special‑education and food‑service cost adjustments, and higher retirement (New Hampshire Retirement System) and FICA costs.
Laliberte outlined the largest line‑item changes: a 9.8 percent increase in…
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