School Administrative Unit #19 · 11 School Street · Goffstown, NH 03045 · Tel: 603-497-4818 · Fax: 603-497-8425

Next Tuesday, March 8, voters will have their opportunity to have their say on the various Warrant articles before them.  The School Districts Ballot will have 4 Warrant Articles to be decided.

Warrant Article 1, voters can vote for up to 3 candidates for the School Board.  Candidates are incumbents Philip Pancoast, Hank Boyle and Suzanne Tremblay in addition to Mary Parah, Leah Wolczko and Ben Hampton.

Warrant Article 2 asks voters to adopt the School Budget.  The number being voted on is the budget amount passed with wide support at the Deliberative Session.  This is also the budget proposed by the School Board.  This budget was designed to be as low as possible while still maintaining current programs and services.  

Warrant Article 3 asks voters to approve a one-year collective bargaining agreement with the support staff.  In this contract, the members have agreed to a pay freeze for the year however there is a slight increase of $10, 020.  Only $8,703 is to be raised by taxes, the remainder will be funded by the Food Service Program.  This slight increase is due to the extension of the longevity stipend for our employees who have worked for the district for an extensive period of time and the provision for up to $100 for each member of the custodial staff for the purchase of safety shoes in an effort to prevent injuries.

Warrant Article 4 asks the voters permission to allocate up to $200,000 from the current school years unreserved fund balance to be put into the existing capital reserve fund for the renovation of Bartlett Elementary School.  This fund was established by the voters in 2005 to provide for the funding required to support building updates necessary to maintain Bartlett as a viable elementary school supporting projected student enrollments as well as regular use as a multi-purpose community facility.  This school currently exceeds capacity and needs to be renovated and expanded in the near future.  A deposit into this fund will help save money for the future and will go towards the expected expenditures and will not increase the overall tax rate.

The polls will be open at Goffstown High School and Bartlett Elementary School between 7am and 7pm.  Be sure to get out and vote so that your voice is heard as it pertains to the education of the students in your town.