After Meeting With Concord School Board, Candidates File To Run

CONCORD, NH — The day after Concord Board of Education members met with potential candidates in an orientation meeting, so they could learn about the responsibilities of being board members, four new candidates signed up to run for seats. David Parker of School Street and Max Schultz of Blevens Drive have both filed to run for the District B seat to represent voters in Wards 5, 6, and 7. Virginia Cannon of Redwing Road also signed up to vote for the District C seat which covers Wards 8, 9, and 10.

Also signing up to run for the District A seat is Patrice Myers of Flamingo Road.

Nancy Kane, who was elected last year to fill out the remaining term of Jennifer Patterson, who moved out of the district, ran at-large, and won in 2018, is not seeking a full term.

Cannon, Parker, and Schultz all attended an orientation meeting for new candidates at the SAU 8 Concord School District Central Office, hosted by current school board members and Terri Forsten, the school superintendent. Board members set up chairs in a circle, introduced themselves, talked about their roles, and answered questions from the potential candidates.

Board members stated that they were surprised with the amount of work that entailed being a member of the board, especially during budget season. They also serve on a number of subcommittees that meet regularly a number of times a month. They all said though that it was a rewarding experience and a great way to serve the Concord community.

"I have found it is like getting a free education," said Barbara Higgins, who has served both as a district and at-large board member and worked as a teacher in the district for more than two decades. "We work really hard and we don't always agree. But at the end of a meeting, we always find a way to leave on the same page."

Jim Richards, who currently serves in the District A seat and is running for re-election this year, said he learned a lot leading the facilities committee, including what many perceive is a need for a new middle school, a project he called "really exciting." He also likened the board role to advising a $90 million company. At times, Richards stated, he wished he knew more about the budget and noted there were a lot of nuances dealing with the collective bargaining agreements with the district's unions.

Another at-large school board member, Danielle Smith, who was also elected last year citywide after just missing winning the District A seat the year before, said her favorite thing about being on the board was hearing from students. She called it "fun and entertaining to see things through their eyes" and said she was grateful that other members were welcoming after she was elected.

Liza Poinier of District B, who is in her second year, also said it was a great board to be involved in and was excited about the Rundlett project.

"There's a lot of opportunity there to do something great for Concord," she said.

Patterson, who is the current board president, said even though she had been on the board for many years, she had "learned so much" and didn't have a background previously on many of the issues the board dealt with like contracts. Her eyes were opened during the elementary school consolidation process calling it "a massive, massive project, of building schools (that) was amazing."

Parker asked about how much time board members spent in the schools and they admitted that it wasn't a lot and probably not enough.

"I don't spend enough time … I truly don't," said Tom Croteau, who serves on the second District A seat and is a former educator.

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Croteau said he learned a lot about the elementary schools by visiting the lower grade classes and called it an eyeopener.

Like the rest of the state, enrollments are dropping in Concord. But the numbers have seen some stabilization in the preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school grades. This is making the district think about moving fifth-graders into a new middle school to free up space in the elementary schools. A new Rundlett though depends on school aid from the state, Patterson said, which was not a given.

Parker commended the board members for tackling some tough issues – like delaying full-day K in the wake of Concord Steam going out of business. At the same time, he said, with declining enrollments, a new middle school was going to be "a hard sell" when considering what residents are currently paying in property taxes.

Along with the Rundlett project, two other challenges before the board included renegotiating union contracts with the district's five collective bargaining units and a potential new charter commission, which is set to expire in 2021.

The previous charter commission took oversight of the district away from the Legislature after a bill was approved to allow Concord residents to vote on bonding any project that was more than $5 million as well as returning the charter back to the residents of the city. This bill though put the elementary school project in jeopardy – because it proposed to knock down three historic buildings in the city at a cost of $90.8 million, something that was unpopular with many people in the community, and many believed it would not be approved by the electorate.

Former state Sen. Sylvia Larsen, then-School Superintendent Chris Rath, Kass Ardinger, the president of the board at the time, and the district's attorney, John Teague, then worked behind closed doors to rig the public process surrounding the creation of a Legislature's Charter Study Commission.

That led to a charter commission, the approval of a "super-majority" needed to change anything in the charter – making it harder for residents to change anything in the district charter, and the creation of district seats for school board members – which was barely approved by a 34-vote margin after a last-minute effort to hijack the proposal by Ardinger.

Teague and his law firm, of Upton & Hatfield, could have been brought up on criminal charges, but, instead, he was scolded for violating the lobbying law after an investigation by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

3 Sign Up To Run For The Board

Cannon, Parker, and Schultz, according to Roger Phillips, the school district clerk, all signed up to run Thursday.

"I would like to bring my years of experience as a community member as well as a lifelong educator to the board of education," said Parker, who ran for city council in the special election in March, placing second.

Schultz said he thought he could add something to the board that was missing.

"Like most parents with kids in the district, I have been very concerned about the events that have transpired at CHS," he said. "I spoke up at the public hearing and voiced my concerns about the response of the district to public concerns and what appears to be a lack of holding employees accountable for the safety of our children. Whether or not the board agrees with that does not matter because that is the public perception and this board answers to the public that elected them. I have met the board and I think they are good people who could use some help. So, I'm offering to help them work to get the public trust back."

Schultz said he wanted kids to get a good education in safe schools with an administration that puts children's safety first, above anything else.

"I have 29 years of experience in public safety and I'm currently an administrator in public safety," he added. "I'm familiar with policies, personal issues, budgets, and all building safety issues. Above all else, I'm not afraid to deal with difficult issues. I'm experienced in dealing with all types of crisis and I am comfortable interacting with the news media properly."

Cannon did not returned an email request for comment and Myers was unable to be reached at post time.

At-Large Race To Be Competitive

A third candidate has emerged to run for two four-year at-large Concord City Council seats, meaning that all voters in the city of Concord will have at least one race to participate in.

Edith Chiasson, who works for the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, signed up to run on Wednesday. The mother and grandmother, who lives on Essex Street, ran unsuccessfully for the open Ward 4 seat earlier this year. Previously, Chiasson said she really enjoyed campaigning and this week, decided to run again.

"I love this city and I would like to have the opportunity to serve my community," she said. "I have a passion for doing the right things for the right reasons."

Also signing up to run for re-election is Zandra Rice Hawkins of Edward Drive, who won the Ward 10 special election back in March to serve on the remainder of Dan St. Hilaire's term after he was named to a judgeship.

How To Get Involved

The filing fee to run for mayor and council is $5 or the collection of petition signatures. Ward filing fees are $1. Candidates have until Monday, Sept. 16, to file at the city clerk's office on Green Street. The clerk's office will be open until 6 p.m. on Sept. 12, and 5 p.m. on Sept. 16.

For more information, visit the city clerk's filing for office site.

Individuals wishing to declare candidacy for a Board of Education seat should file with Roger B. Phillips, Esq., clerk, at Phillips Law Office, PLLC, 104 Pleasant St. in Concord by Sept. 16.

Running? Tell Concord NH Patch!

When and if you signup to run for any office, reach out to Concord NH Patch. Our site will be featuring candidate profiles as well as other information about the campaigns. Fill out the Patch Candidate Profile Form here, and email a photo of yourself, too.

Vote On Nov. 5

Voters go to the polls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, to cast ballots for municipal offices. Voters will choose a two-year term for mayor, two-year terms for ward councilors in each of the 10 wards, and two at-large (citywide) council seats for four-year terms. Ward clerks and moderators will also be elected to two-year terms as well as supervisory of the checklist for a six-year term.

Three district seats for the Concord Board of Education will also be chosen. District A covers Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4; District B covers Wards 4, 5, and 6; District C represents Wards 8, 9, and 10.

After the ballot positions are set, voters who won't be home on Election Day can request absentee ballots with the city clerk.

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