Get Out and Vote on March 12

To the voters of North Hampton, Hampton, Hampton Falls and Seabrook,

On Tuesday March 12 you will be asked to vote on 9 Warrant Articles affecting Winnacunnet High School.  Article 1 (the operating budget)  requests authorization to raise and appropriate a total of $22,579,203, which includes $80,000 in additional monies added by the public at the deliberative session on February 6 and subsequently approved by the Winnacunnet School Board at its meeting on February 20.   The budget for the 2013-2014 school year is 2.7% higher than the amount budgeted for the 2012-2013 school year; the largest contributor to that increase are additional retirement related costs that the state no longer covers and is now the responsibility of the school district.  

I also encourage you to vote in favor of Articles 2, 3 and 4, which the School Board and the Winnacunnet Budget Committee are both recommending as well as Article 5 which the School Board is recommending.   Article 2 is the only one of these four that will require an additional outlay of funds and that is to fund needed repairs to the school’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.    Articles 3, 4 and 5 will set aside any unreserved funds remaining at the end of the current school year to provide the district with funds that may be necessary to pay for any other building repairs, unexpected special education costs and technology repairs and enhancements that may be necessary. 

Article 6 is a petition article that mandates that Winnacunnet High School teach full year courses in Math, English, Social Studies and Sciences.  As you consider this article please be aware that at its December 19, 2012 meeting the Winnacunnet School Board committed itself and Winnacunnet High School to implement the following full year courses during the 2013 – 2014 school year:  full year English 1 Essential Studies and Full Year Algebra 1 Preparatory.  During the 2014-2015 school year, the school will be implementing full year courses in:  Grade 9 English; Algebra 1 and 2, Biology, Chemistry and Physics and Levels 1 and 2 World Languages.   I would contend that the intent of Article 6 has already been met.  

Article 7 is a second petition article that would direct the Winnacunnet School District to immediately enforce and adhere to the terms of section 7.5 of the Agreement between the Seacoast Education Association (teachers) and SAU 21.   The applicable language in section 7.5 states that “All teachers in the junior and senior high schools shall be provided with an uninterrupted preparation period of the same duration as a class period for students each school day when students are in attendance.”  That is all, nothing more.  And since that is what the district is already doing, the district is already in full compliance with the section of the contract referenced in the warrant article.    

 Article 8 is a third petition article which would limit the free speech of teachers and district employees.   There is no place for this kind of unconstitutional limit on the ability of any member of our community to express themselves and I urge you to join me in defeating this attempt to do so.

Finally, Article 9 (also a petition article) is invalid since the same measure should have been included on the ballots in the North Hampton, Hampton Falls, Seabrook and South Hampton school districts as well and I urge you to vote against that as well.   

Regardless of your point of view, it is important that you get out to vote in your community on March 12.  See you at the polls!