Concord School Board Member Ousted From Seat Due To Residency Requirement

CONCORD, NH — A Concord school board member who moved out of her apartment in Ward 4 and has not reestablished residency in the zone she was elected to serve in two years ago has been removed from her seat.

Kate West, who was elected in November 2020 but moved out of her Jackson Street apartment in September, did not appear at Monday’s SAU 8 Concord board of education meeting to confirm her residency in the district and was removed by a vote of the board.

The vote was unanimous.

Despite knowing she did not live in the district for months, the board chose to wait until its organizational meeting in 2023 to remove her. Board members waited due to new language in the school district’s charter voters approved in November. The language changed the name of the ward district seats to “school voting zone” seats.

The previous language, which spoke of the ward seats, used the word “district” and required them to be residents. But members of the 2021 charter commission and legal counsel for the board believed the language in the previous charter could be challenged.

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According to board members, West refused to resign from the seat and was using the “domicile loophole” in an attempt to hold onto the seat, calling herself “temporarily homeless.” She intended to remain in the zone, at some point, members said.

At the beginning of the organizational meeting Monday, Kathleen Murphy, the district’s school superintendent, polled the eight board members in attendance, confirming they all lived in the SAU 8 district as well as their voting zones — if they were not elected citywide. All the members confirmed their residency.

The eight members then voted unanimously to remove West from the board.

Jim Richards, the other School Voting Zone representing Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4, said the board thanked her for “all her hard work,” adding, “We will miss her and her input.”

West did not return an email or phone call in November when Patch first reported issues with her residency.

West easily beat Roy Schweiker in November 2020, who did not actively campaign for the seat, by a three-to-one margin. She was one of several Young Democrats elected to municipal and legislative offices that year in New Hampshire.

West voted in the November 2022 general election from her prior Jackson Street address — even though she did not live there at the time, according to the Concord City Clerk’s Office.

Richards Returns As President

Richards was also re-elected to another term as president of the school board Monday.

The vote was 6 to 2, with both Richards and Barbara Higgins, an at-large member, abstaining.

Higgins, before the vote, reminded school board members that the body was not a political one but was, instead, about supporting the education of children while representing parents, taxpayers, and others in the city. She said they had to represent all city citizens regardless of political affiliation, wage level, skin color, religion, and not just the persuasions of the politically driven members of the community.

Higgins also stated, in the past, when running for leadership positions in the district, it was an inside club, and some members were excluded from the process because of predetermined cliques within the board.

At the time, all school board members were elected citywide.

Higgins called the process, back then, "disingenuous," since not all the members had the opportunity to serve outside of the role of just being an elected official. She also added it was necessary, as a body, to second nominations and allow for all potential candidates to run for the offices.

After speaking, Higgins nominated Bob Cotton, another at-large member who lives in Ward 5, to be president.

The nomination, however, was not seconded.

Cotton then nominated Richards to lead the board again, saying he thought he had done an excellent job. Jonathan Weinberg, a Zone B member, seconded the nomination, and Richards was elected.

From there, Murphy stepped down, and Richards took over the meeting.

Brenda Hastings, a Zone C member, nominated Pam Walsh, an at large member, to be vice president. Sarah Robinson, another Zone C member, seconded the nomination.

Richards nominated Higgins, who served in the role last year, saying he knew she wanted to stay on. Her nomination was seconded by Weinberg. But Walsh was later elected, 6-2, with Higgins and Walsh abstaining.

Weinberg nominated Hastings for secretary and was elected as the only nominee with two abstentions — herself and Higgins.

Policy Change Made To Replacement Process

Walsh offered an amendment to the district’s policy regarding replacing members who resign or are removed due to lack of residency.

The school board president will still be allowed to nominate a replacement before a full board vote. But she requested 24-hour notification and also wanted the public to have the opportunity to comment on the nomination. Walsh also suggested the replacement board member serve through the end of the year, not just until the next election, to be uniform with all members who are seated the first week of January.

Richards said he liked the changes and felt the board “wanted to try and be as transparent as possible.” He added, “I think it’s a good change.”

The board approved the change unanimously.

It is unknown, at post time, who will be nominated to replace West. Signups to fill the remainder of the seat will be held on September with the election held in November.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, it was mistakenly stated that Higgins did not receive a second. It has been corrected.

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