Londonderry board presses superintendent for cut scenarios, restores fifth-grade science books

The Londonderry School Board asked the superintendent on Monday to return with concrete options to narrow a proposed operating budget while it approved restoring a missing fifth-grade science textbook set.

Superintendent Nate Greenberg presented a budget that administration described as roughly $60 million, noting it stands a small amount above the current operating budget but remains below the statutory "default" budget. A staff presenter said contractual updates discovered after printing altered health, dental and property-insurance lines; the resulting adjusted proposal was described in the meeting materials as about $73,000 above this year's operating budget and roughly $1.43 million below the default budget.

Board members focused much of the discussion on how to present reductions and on where to find savings without cutting classroom positions. Board member Ron (Committee member S8) asked the superintendent to model what the general fund would look like with a roughly $200,000 reduction and with a deeper $1.2 million adjustment so members could compare outcomes and program impacts at the Jan. 6 follow-up. The board took consensus to have administration return with those scenarios rather than adopt line-by-line changes at the workshop.

The board voted to restore a fifth-grade science textbook adoption, a change the administration estimated would add about $20,384 to the curriculum budget. The motion to add the textbooks was moved by a board member and seconded; the chair called the question and the motion passed on an audible vote.

Discussion also turned to class-size and redistricting consequences. One member proposed adding a fourth-grade teaching position at North School to keep class sizes near the mid-20s and outlined a space plan that would repurpose a reading intervention room while relocating art, music and some support services. Other members and the superintendent raised practical and equity concerns: the plan would reduce dedicated art and music rooms, potentially require using shared spaces during instruction, and—because North School has a legally blind student—could not rely on hallway storage. The proponent withdrew the motion so staff could return with more detailed options and cost impacts.

Greenberg warned that personnel and contracted services constrain where administrators can cut. "There is very limited maneuvering room here," he told the board, saying most major cost drivers are personnel (about 80 percent of the budget), utilities and bond payments. He also flagged two 'hidden' risks: volatile out-of-district tuition placements and reduced turnover savings, either of which could produce sudden multi-hundred-thousand-dollar pressures on the district's finances.

Several board members urged a careful, prioritized approach to identify savings that would not harm classroom instruction. The board also asked for a short, itemized analysis of previously recommended reductions and a targeted cost for adding back 12 library/media assistant hours (administration estimated roughly $38,000 including benefits).

The workshop closed with direction that administration return on Jan. 6 with the requested reduction scenarios and options for managing class-size implications and warrant-article decisions. The board adjourned after a final motion and voice vote.