School Board Holds Public Hearing Regarding Kindergarten

The Windham School Board held a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20 to hash out all of the details of a proposed reduction to the approved appropriation for the kindergarten project.

The project, which was overwhelmingly passed by voters in March, originally called for $2.9 million in funding. The proposed decrease, which will go to a public vote on Oct. 4, would drop that total to just over $2.5 million.

For the board members, the concern was adhering to a promise to the public. In the original plan, they told residents that the maximum amount of taxpayer dollars that they would ask for would be $900,000. That total, according to Bruce Anderson, was not arbitrary.

"It was the worst case when you ran the numbers all the way to the end of the table," said Anderson. "We wish it hadn't gotten there."

The reason it has gotten there resonates from the state of NH builiding aid, which was anticipated to be as high as $2.175 million. The board ended up receiving only $1 million in state aid.

Board member Michelle Farrell told those in attendance that there were three options at that point. The first was cancelling the project outright and the second was to charge more in taxes. Since the board didn't want to go back on its word, they decided on the special meeting in early October, which will create a unique vote that was previously used in town meetings for 200 years.

In order to drop the cost for the kindergarten, which will be built as an expansion to Golden Brook School, sacrifices have to be made. The board provided a list at the hearing, which included eliminating cubbies for the kids as well as wall cabinets.

Board chair Ed Gallagher ensured that the finished project would still be respectable.

"At $2.5 million, no one will be embarrassed by the quality and the end product of this kindergarten," said Gallagher. "We recognize for our youngest citizens that quality is important."

Some of the members of town in attendance disagreed, thinking that the board should instead mention to the Windham taxpayers how little the added cost would be to get a more polished product. Rick Sweetser told the board that he would not vote for the reduction.

"It seems that it might be more important to not stick to that [$900,000 maximum] number," said Sweetser. "Sell the taxpayers on $5 more a month and build the whole darn thing."

Since the difference in the costs is a one-time $62 tax hit for residents in town, Sweetser deduced that monthly total. He told the board that he felt that they were tossing the big number of $2.9 million at the public, which creates "sticker shock" on initial reaction.

To him the $5 per month figure sounds more reasonable.

"I would venture a guess that half of the people in this room are going to spend $5 before they get home tonight," said Sweetser.

Anderson responded to Sweetser that the same debate came up during the vote to construct a track at the high school, a project that was eventually turned down by the public. One resident had mentioned that it would parallel the cost of a trip through the Dunkin' Donuts drive thru each week.

"If everybody thought like you, we could have a track and field," said Anderson.

The board made sure the public knew that no matter the attendance at the special meeting in two weeks, those people will be the voters responsible for making the decision. If five or more people offer a written request to make the vote private on Oct. 4, that can be done as well.

The board hopes to break ground on the project well before the end of the calendar year.