Past Members, Challengers Debate Concord School Charter: Videos

CONCORD, NH — Nine of the 10 candidates in competitive Concord School District Charter Commission races appeared in two debates in October to tell voters why they were running and to answer questions about what they might consider doing if elected to participate in the next 10 year review of the SAU 8 charter.

Running for three at large seats are Roy Schweiker, Robert Washburn, Clint Cogswell, Elizabeth “Betty” Hoadley, and William Ardinger.

The candidates running for two District A seats are Tom Croteau, Matt Fisk, Tracey Lesser, Patrice Myers, and Benton “Chick” Smith.

The debates were cosponsored by Patch, recorded by Concord TV, and audio from the debates were broadcast on WKXL, too.

Read more about the history of the Concord School District Charter Commission here: Navigating The Sordid Past Of Concord's School District Charter

At Large Candidates

Four of the five candidates, Cogswell, Hoadley, Schweiker, and Washburn, participated in a debate recorded in the school board meeting room at the SAU administrative building. A fifth candidate, Ardinger, was unable to attend due to a medical issue. He submitted a written statement which was read before the debate.

Ardinger, Cogswell, and Hoadley all previously served on the charter commission 10 years ago which led to the city approving by a ballot question removing the charter from the hands of the Legislature and changing the way school board members were elected, from nine at large candidates to three at large candidates and six district candidates.

The candidates were asked about their previous experience on the charter and whether the challengers would have offered something different. They were also asked about a number of reforms that could be proposed — rights that parents and taxpayers in nearly every other community in the state of New Hampshire have, including Concord voters that live in the Merrimack Valley School District, and that all city residents once had in the 1960s, including direct voting on school line items.

Only Washburn said voters should the ability to have a role in budget items and projects coming before the school board.

Schweiker and Washburn also addressed their concerns with tax increment financing that is pulling money from education to pay for long-term city projects.

Washburn also said he would like to work on ensuring that all school board members were elected in odd years like most board members and city councilors, too.

The full debate can be seen here on YouTube.com.

District A Charter Commission Candidates

The candidates running for two District A seats, Croteau, Fisk, Lesser, Myers, and Smith, also addressed the same questions.

Only one candidate, Myers, said she would like to see SAU 8 parents and taxpayers have voting rights over budgets and projects as they have had in the past. Others raised concerns about voters having the ability to harm students — even though budgets and projects for all the highest rated school districts in the state have to go before voters.

Smith said he would like to see changes to the school board member district process — potentially changing the election process to six at large members and three district board of education members.

The full debate can be seen here on YouTube.com.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the New Hampshire Patch Politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.