Plainfield School District
Warned Meeting to Discuss SB 2 Proposal
Present: Carin Reynolds (Chair), Audra Bucklin, Doug Cogan and Chris Forman. Also present were Superintendent Collins and Principal Langsner as well as approximately eight members of the public.
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 pm.
This warrant article (Article VII) seeks to change voting on the school budget from the day of the school district meeting to the town election day. Carin Reynolds read a statement from the school board recommending against adoption of this proposal, including the following reasons:
· Towns that have changed the school district meeting to an SB2 “deliberative session” have seen big reductions in voter turnout.
o In Lebanon, which has more than 6,000 eligible voters, only 40 or 50 voters show up for its deliberative session.
· Because there is no quorum requirement, a small number of people attending the deliberative session can end up making big decisions for the town, because their decisions determine what appears as the final budget and warrant articles voted on during election day.
· Because school budgets are complex, and not always clear from the numbers, voters who don’t attend the deliberative session may not have a clear understanding of the budget and warrant articles on election day. Hence, the quality of the collective decision-making can suffer.
· Some towns, including Charlestown, Rindge and Swanzey, are now entertaining proposals seeking reversal of their adoption of SB2.
Each member of the school board present at the meeting also spoke individually with reasons to oppose the adoption of SB2.
Steve Halleran read a statement into the record on behalf of the Plainfield Selectboard opposing the adoption of SB2, including the following reasons.
· Attendance at deliberative meetings is predictably lower than at traditional town or school meetings.
· Voting on election day is separated from any discussion of the merits of a particular article.
· The current system encourages voters to listen and participate in an open discussion and an exchange of ideas on the day the votes are cast.
· The statement noted that about 70 out of 177 school districts and 60 out 221 towns in New Hampshire have adopted the SB format.
Halleran, after reading the Selectboard statement, expressed his personal views opposing adoption of SB2. He said he always comes out of school and town meetings with some new piece of information that he was not anticipating. He suggested that the town consider combining the school district and town meetings so that voting on all budgets and warrant articles could take place in one day.
Carl Strong spoke in favor of adoption of SB2. He said some people in town are needing to sell their homes because they can’t afford to pay their property taxes. He said there was nothing wrong with a flat budget and that the school board needs to balance the educational value against the demands being placed on taxpayers.
Jack McNellis spoke in favor of adoption of SB2. He said in a town of 1,400 voters, he does not regard 30-40% voter participation as a high turnout, and that people who don’t attend these meetings are not bad guys. In the end, 15-20% of the electorate vote in budgets that others can’t afford. A higher turnout on election day would result in more budget rejections. He said all day voting on election day would give more voter access, and also means that one would not find fault with those who don’t care to vote. He said other ways must be found to communicate about the school budget, such as in the local newspaper and the Internet.
Scott Prince suggested that a flyer be sent to every registered voter to explain what is going on at the school district meeting, and that the school newsletter and postings at the town hall are the only way information is getting out now. He said he is concerned that a small number of voters can vote in a huge budget and that voters are making decisions without proper knowledge.
(School board members and others commented that in addition to the school newsletter and postings at the school, town hall and libraries, the school maintains a website as well as community member Dennis Giourard. School board notes and minutes are published monthly in PlainFacts, a town newsletter. Articles about the budget also appear in local newspapers. The town report sent to each registered voter includes an annual report from the Plainfield School District.)
Mike Higgins spoke against adoption of SB2. He questioned whether it would lead to an increase in voter participation. He said in his 22 years of attending school district meetings, they are less rancorous than they used to be, and he has seen minds changed as a result of discussions that take place at these meetings. He also said that he is concerned that voters present at a deliberative session might have certain agendas to push pet spending projects or vote in unwarranted cuts in funding. Such action by a small minority of voters would override the duties of the school board to present and seek approval of a balanced budget proposal at the time of the school district meeting.
Dennis Giourard spoke in favor of adoption of SB2. He said, by itself, it is not a great idea, but it fits today’s lifestyle. With better communication through the newspaper, Internet and PlainFacts, he said voters would be no less educated than they are now listening to five hours of speeches at school district meeting. He said new ways must be found to get more people involved in voting.
Tim Ball spoke in favor of adoption of SB2. He said all day voting would not diminish participation by people who work and have kids. He said the length of the school district meeting discourages voter turnout.
There being no further discussion, the public hearing was adjourned at 7:50.
After a brief recess, a motion was a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to go into non-public session pursuant to NH RSA 91-A:3, II (b) at 8:07 to discuss Superintendent candidates.
Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to go back into public session at 8:35 p.m. No action was taken.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:36 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Acting Secretary