Two years ago I advised everyone who attended the School District’s Annual Meeting that we should just increase the budget’s warrant article to $8 M and begin managing our dollars better.
It was clear then…Tax payers were stunned at paying that much money for a rather mediocre performing school in a state where the average education is rather…MEDIOCRE.
The private elementary school average is $8,511 per year and the private high school average is $27,319 per year.
The people in the room were aghast! The letters I received (all anonymous of course) were numerous. At least I was scolded for being an alarmist. At worst I was told to leave and never return for scaring the hell out of the residents.
Well what was unthinkable in the past has now arrived…and guess what YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. Pay up folks and expect an increase next year…and the year after that, and the year after that.
The School Board clearly does not know how to manage money… With the amount of unpaid Property Taxes topping out at over $1M and unfunded road and sewer repair and replacement estimates nearing $15M, hard to imagine prudent financial managers recommending these types of increases.
OHB…keeping it real… making it easier for you to find the facts so you can draw your own conclusions…..
“There are things public officials would never do if they thought somebody might call them out on it.”
While few of us saw the 2? Legally necessary notices for the deliberative session and supposed explanation, Dr Moore , the mastermind SAUSuperintendant pushing the school board, is scheduled to speak Tuesday, Jan 29th, at 10:30 at White Birch Community Center on the budget.
Keep in mind that 5 years ago when Dr Moore had buried a $90,000 down payment, on a $325,000 playground that more resembled a California park, not one of the 5 school board members knew it!!! Thanks to the scrutiny of Editor Leigh Bosse of the Messenger paper, the public was notified just before the school meeting. It was cancelled and a playground of only $60,00? Tax money and lots of local volunteers got the job done. It’s this mistrust that made it possible to pass SB2 type of budget funding for Henniker where we vote by ballot.