New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
The committee revised its policies to require that if it decides to pursue filling a vacancy, the process will include issuing a press release and soliciting letters; members also agreed to use assigned SAU email addresses for committee correspondence to improve transparency.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
The Merrimack School District Budget Committee voted 6–0 with 3 abstentions to confirm Shane Albuquerque to a one-year seat that will appear on the April ballot; the committee recessed briefly for his swearing-in and moved on to organizational business.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
Members pressed for machine-readable budgets, a decoder for account numbers, and clearer public access to minutes and data; the meeting included a forceful exchange about last year’s failure to produce an acceptable budget and calls to avoid partisan gridlock this season.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
After open nominations the committee elected Heather Robitaille chair (7-5) and Dan as vice chair (7-5). Nominees emphasized running inclusive, efficient meetings; Heather took the gavel and thanked outgoing chair Jen McCormick.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
Lori Peters, school-board chair, summarized cuts the board made and the items retained in the recommended budget, including one gifted-and-talented FTE, a reduced-hours math interventionist, and the registrar position; Peters said the kept lines left the budget about $5,900 over default and authorized administration to reallocate lines to cover the shortfall.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
The committee voted to add language requiring the chair to ensure new members receive policies, to require SAU-assigned email addresses for committee correspondence, to clarify liaison contact language, to adopt a vacancy-filling procedure and to accept a resignation from Mackenzie Murphy; the committee set a tentative interview date of July 29 at 6 p.m.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
The committee heard a comprehensive presentation from its legal counsel on New Hampshire's right-to-know framework (RSA 91-A, Part I Article 8) and asked questions about emails, texts, social media and archival responsibilities. Counsel said ambiguities should be resolved in favor of disclosure and offered to share slides after the meeting.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
After more than two hours of public comment, the Merrimack School District budget committee recommended a $96,823,198 operating budget and advanced two money warrant articles — a $500,000 capital reserve fund and an $823,230 roof replacement — while facing sustained demands from parents, teachers and students to preserve social-emotional learning and other programs.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
After hours of line-by-line discussion — including a failed motion to remove $1 million from maintenance and a dispute over which historic data to use — the Merrimack School District Budget Committee voted to adopt the administration and school board's operating budget recommendation for the ballot.
New Hampshire / School Districts / Merrimack School District
Dozens of residents — including parents, educators and a student with an IEP — told the Merrimack School District budget committee that proposed spending puts seniors and students at risk and urged preserving special-education services while seeking more transparency about district costs.