SAU #70 - Hanover School Board

Present: Board members Asmus, Carpenter, Carter, Chamberlin, Fleischer, Rose; Administrators: Gersen, Williams, Aubin; 3 members of the public. Recorded by R. Lohr

1. Call to Order – Chair Asmus called the meeting to order at 7:07 PM.

2. Report of Chair
Chair Kari Asmus announced that the next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, 7:00 PM at the Ray School Multiroom. This will be the second of three budget meetings in January and it will also focus on special education. The third meeting on January 16 will be a regular Board meeting incorporating a public hearing on the budget and budget adoption.

Chair Asmus announced that the Hanover School District Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 1, 1:00 PM at the Hanover High School Gymnasium. This will be the discussion phase of the meeting and no voting will take place at the meeting. The voting phase of the meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 4, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, at the Hanover High School Gymnasium.

The chair also announced that the filing period for four available Hanover School Board seats is Wednesday, January 16 through Friday, January 25 at 5 PM at the SAU office located at Hanover High School at 41 Lebanon Street, Suite 2. Filings can also be done with the School District Clerk, Anne Chamberlin. A one dollar fee or specified number of signatures is required to file. These Board seats include three (3) three year terms (Carpenter, Carter, Fleischer), and one is a one (1) year position (Rose), which will complete the three year term of Larry Pilchman and will return to a three year term in 2009. Other positions open are District Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer, all one year terms.

The Dresden School District has filing dates from Tuesday, January 15 through 5:00 PM, Monday, February 4. Filing for School District Officers can be done with either the School District Clerk, Deborah Carter or at the SAU Office located at Hanover High School at 41 Lebanon Street, Suite 2. Positions open are: Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer for one (1) year terms; two Auditor positions, one for a two (2) year term, and one for a three (3) year term.

Petitions for inclusion in the Hanover School District Warrant must be received by 4:30 PM on Thursday, January 31. Petitions may be presented to any member of the Hanover School Board or delivered to the SAU Office located at Hanover High School at 41 Lebanon Street, Suite 2.

3. Business Requiring Discussion

Bridgman Trust
Paul Gardent, a representative for the trustees of various Town of Hanover trust funds reviewed a report to the Hanover School Board regarding the status of the Bridgman Fund and several smaller school district funds. In a discussion regarding consolidating or terminating the smaller funds, Mr. Gardent advised that closing any of these funds would require a vote by town residents.

The restrictions for using the Bridgman Funds were discussed, noting that only Hanover students can benefit and that the funds cannot be used to reduce taxes. The investments that apply to this fund were also shared with the Board. It was agreed that the Board would continue with its annual request of no more than 5 percent of the fund (maximum of $65,000) and treat it as a quasi endowment for next year.

2008-09 proposed budget
Assistant Superintendent for Business, John Aubin reviewed the proposed Hanover School District budget document. Due to the 6th grade tuition transfer, special education excess costs, and a projected 13.7% increase in the health insurance costs, the budget proposes an increase of 5.1 percent above last year’s budget. The 2008-09 proposal does not incorporate the faculty and other staff contract settlements, which have not been finalized.

The Board discussed the history of the contingency account and the recommendation for eliminating it. Board members decided to restore it into the warrant to ensure the issue would be discussed at the next meeting. The enrollment projections for the Ray School and those dealing with the shift of the 5th grade special ed students to RMS were incorporated in the staffing reduction recommendations. John Aubin reviewed significant changes of the budget proposal compared to last year’s budget. The Board also discussed eliminating the special education reserve fund, which will be drained this year according to the District’s spending forecast.

Robin Carpenter distributed an alternative format describing the significant changes that grouped the budget into: operational costs for regular education, operational costs for special education; benefits; capital items; all other changes not listed; and transfers. This format distinguished between the operational costs, which could be controlled, and reserve transactions. The reserve transactions included: Richmond School tuition reserves; special education reserves; and tax stabilization reserves. After some discussion, the Board felt the line item related to “all other changes not listed” should be included in the operational costs. This format revealed that the Ray School operational costs were well below the budget guideline even with the substantial increase in health care costs.

Wayne Gersen noted that two years ago three health insurance plans were considered and the existing plan was the lowest priced. He also emphasized that the faculty pays up to 20 percent of the insurance premiums and the District funds only HMO coverage, which means the employees need to pay for the difference of more expensive coverage.

The Board discussed the need to consider how to calculate the 6th grade tuition since much of the budget increase was the result of increases in that account. Principal Williams explained the calculation of educational assistants that straddled regular and special education needs in the classroom, which resulted in under-reporting the regular educational share of the assistants’ time.

John Aubin distributed documents showing Ray School per pupil cost comparisons to other school districts and the state average. He also shared a teacher salary analysis and the educational attainment of teachers in Hanover compared to other districts.

Mr. Aubin will consider how to handle the Catastrophic Aid reimbursement and give the Board suggestions on the issue. Other decisions include the elimination of the contingency and whether to continue using the special education reserve fund.

School District Warrant Articles
The Board reviewed the Warrant Articles draft and corrected some typo mistakes. The location of the Hanover High School meeting was discussed with the auditorium and gymnasium both under consideration for the meeting.

4. Nonpublic Session
John Chamberlin moved and Robin Carpenter seconded a motion to enter nonpublic session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3 (ll.a) for discussion of a personnel matter. The motion passed unanimously. Following the motion, the Roll Call was conducted and the Board went into nonpublic session at 9:56 PM.

5. Adjournment

John Chamberlin moved and Robin Carpenter seconded a motion to adjourn at 10:15 PM. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:15 PM.