November 3rd HB1300 Ballot Question 2: Plainfield School Board statement adopted at the October 13, 2026 meeting
Earlier this year the New Hampshire Legislature passed and the Governor signed HB1300, which establishes a school district local tax cap question on the ballot, and on limiting central office administrative expenses. This will be Ballot Question 2 when you vote on November 3, requiring a 60% majority.
The Plainfield School Board opposes Ballot Question 2.
The Plainfield School Board works hard to keep the School District budget in check, and will continue to do so without the limitations imposed by an affirmative vote. In fact, the rise in the School District budget over the past 15 years has largely matched the rate of inflation.
However, there are at times expense increases that are not in our control, for example the large increase in the cost of health care benefits that we faced last year, or when we happen to send more tuition students to Lebanon High School due to fluctuations in grade sizes from year to year.
In those cases, a spending cap would have forced draconian cuts to other parts of the School Budget.
We also believe the following sentence in the ballot question is misleading: "...These caps apply only to administrative operations of the SAU central office and do not affect classroom instruction, school-based services, or other municipal expenditures..."
These spending caps can be triggered by an increase in the overall budget, as described above. A budget that is limited by this cap would most certainly require cuts that will adversely affect classroom instruction.
Finally, central office expenses in the Plainfield School District are shared with the Cornish School District, for which we are reimbursed by Cornish. This cooperation has increased both districts' operating efficiency materially over the years and benefitted both towns financially. However, the methodology required of us if we adopt this ballot question does not consider the reimbursement and makes Plainfield’s SAU expenses appear larger than they are.
This Ballot question would force us to end our working relationship with our neighbors in Cornish and would likely increase costs for both towns.