Albany authorizes five-year tuition agreements with Conway for middle and high school

Albany voters authorized the school board to enter separate five-year tuition agreements with Conway School District covering middle-school (grades 7–8) and high-school (grades 9–12) students for the term July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2032.

Officials said the proposed agreements change the billing formula: instead of the prior blended approach based on equalized valuation and percent enrollment, the new proposals use the Department of Education’s cost-per-pupil figures (backing out certain expenditures such as transportation to avoid double billing) with an added inflation factor and then multiply that figure by the number of students Albany sends. The proposal shortens the contract horizon from 20 years to five and lowers an attendance threshold discussed earlier to 75% with specified exemptions.

A district representative told the meeting the move to a cost-per-pupil basis should make billing more predictable and avoid year-to-year adjustments tied to exceptional, one-time funds such as federal relief grants. After brief discussion and clarification, the moderator called votes and announced both Article 9 (middle school agreement) and Article 10 (high school agreement) passed.

Why it matters: The agreements set multi-year financial expectations for Albany’s largest expense — tuition payments to Conway — and affect predictability of town budgeting. The new formula moves toward a transparent cost-per-pupil basis but includes an inflation factor and mechanical details that officials said will govern annual charges.

What’s next: The school board will submit the agreements to the State Board of Education for approval pursuant to RSA 194:22 and may adopt minor amendments during the term as authorized by the meeting vote.