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Stratham voters approve FY27 operating budget after brief debate
Summary
Stratham voters approved a proposed FY27 operating budget that board members said reflects months of work with the Financial Advisory Committee; two board members had voted "no" during board approval because they preferred cuts elsewhere but supported the package before voters.
Stratham — Voters at the Stratham School District annual meeting approved the FY27 operating budget after a short Q&A about board dissent and budget drivers.
Moderator Dave Emanuel read the operating-budget article and noted the school board recommended the appropriation by a 3–2 vote and the Financial Advisory Committee recommended it 3–1. Principal Kate Lucas’s presentation identified the plan’s main cost drivers: a $112,248 increase for salaries tied to step and track movements, an unexpected $374,947 rise in health-insurance premiums, special-education cost increases totaling about $315,000 (tuition, transportation and extended‑year services) and roughly $39,071 in additional transportation costs. The presentation also noted debt-service payments tied to a building-renovation bond approved by voters in March 2025.
During public comment, Stratham resident Frank McMillan asked why two board members had opposed the budget at the board vote. Board Chair Jennifer Scraford and fellow member Cameron replied that each had cast a "no" on the board only because they preferred a different set of cuts; both told the meeting they nevertheless supported presenting the budget to voters. "The only reason I voted against it is because I was looking for a cut in a different area," Cameron said.
With no further debate, the moderator called for a voice vote. "All those in favor…" he said; after the responses he announced, "The eyes have it. Article one carries." The moderator then recognized a motion to restrict reconsideration, which voters approved, preventing the article from being reintroduced for at least seven days.
The FY27 proposed budget, the board said, is available on the district website and was developed over multiple fall meetings with the Financial Advisory Committee. The district also posted past meeting recordings for residents seeking further detail.
Next procedural steps: reconsideration is restricted for at least seven days; additional budget materials remain available online for resident review.
