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Denise Day announces school board run; resident criticizes superintendent in public comment
Summary
At a regular Oyster River Cooperative School District meeting, board member Denise Day announced she will run for re-election on March 10. Later in public comment a resident expressed concern about Superintendent Robert Shaps’ alignment with district values and an upcoming contract renewal.
Denise Day, a long-serving member of the Oyster River Cooperative School District school board, told the board she will seek election on March 10, citing budget pressures, capital needs and state mandates as reasons for returning to the board.
"I have spent my entire career working in schools in counseling/social work roles... I have always been a strong believer in public education," Denise Day said, adding, "Now, I ask for your vote for me, Denise Day, as a writing candidate for school board on March 10th." The announcement came during the public-comment portion of the board’s regular meeting.
Later in the same public-comment period, Kika Bower of Lee criticized the district’s superintendent, saying she was concerned about the administration’s direction and the superintendent’s alignment with what she described as the district’s "core values." "I do not think that he is aligned with the core values of this district," Bower said, and urged attention to the upcoming superintendent contract renewal in November.
The chair interjected during Bower’s remarks, reminding the speaker not to discuss personnel matters about staff and asking her to direct comments to the board. There was no substantive board response recorded in the meeting minutes to Bower’s allegations during the public-comment period.
Context: Voting for school board positions is scheduled for March 10 at polling locations in Lee, Madbury and Durham. The meeting included routine approvals and announcements before and after public comment. The board also held two non-public sessions under RSA 91-A:3(c) during the meeting to discuss matters the board described as likely to adversely affect the reputation of a person other than a board member.
What’s next: The district’s public calendar lists the March 10 voting day and upcoming board meetings on March 18 and March 31. The superintendent’s contract renewal timing—referenced by a public commenter—remains a public-policy issue expected to arise again as the school board approaches its personnel-review cycle.
