Surry School Board seeks interim payment increase, asks selectmen for monthly coordination

School Board member Tim Peloquin and Superintendent Kim Caron told the Surry selectmen on June 29 that the School Board is requesting an interim payment increase from $130,000 to $225,000 until the town’s tax rate is set in October 2026. They asked for more regular communication with the selectboard and proposed meeting on the selectboard’s fourth monthly meeting to coordinate budget and operational matters.

The officials raised concerns about state education funding, the impact of flat-rate special-education costs from Keene, and the responsibilities of charter schools in the district. They also discussed current education results and gave special recognition to Carol Lothrop for ‘‘exceptional monitoring of student enrollment,’’ as recorded in the meeting minutes. The selectmen recommended the School Board attend the half-year Budget Committee review to align timing and advised that the School Board will be included on the selectboard agenda on the fourth Monday meeting of the month at 8:00 P.M.

Selectman Steve Goldsmith also reported on a Charter School bathroom renovation inspection, noting problems with sink height and floor bubbling but describing the renovation as overall relatively well done. He added that the school parking lot is scheduled to be paved in August and that the job will require a half-down deposit. No formal vote on transfers or additional appropriations is recorded in the minutes; the School Board’s request was placed into the record for budget and committee consideration.