Superintendent's Corner

A Message from the Superintendent: Reflecting on Gratitude

November is a natural time for reflection, and as I settle into my new role and the additional challenges this year has brought, I am incredibly fortunate and thankful.

I am deeply thankful to work in a District that supports education at such a high level. First and foremost, I am thankful for our students. They truly make coming to work a pleasure every day.

I also extend my gratitude to the amazing people I work with directly: our dedicated SAU staff, teachers, administrators, EAs, custodians, technicians, cafeteria workers, and support staff. A special thank you to our School Board members who volunteer countless hours and often go unrecognized for their immense contribution.

Finally, thank you to our parents and caregivers for sending such incredible students to our schools and for supporting our system. We are also grateful for our community members, businesses, and others who continue to support our schools in various essential ways.

Financial Challenges: Addressing Healthcare Costs

This year, we have faced significant and unbudgeted financial challenges stemming from rising health care costs, which affect both Hanover and Dresden school budgets.

• Unbudgeted Reserve Assessment: We recently received an unexpected assessment of close to $1 million from our healthcare provider to cover their reserve shortfalls. This unbudgeted expense must be paid during the current 2025/2026 school year.
• 2026/2027 Healthcare Increase: For the upcoming 2026/2027 school year, we budgeted for an 18% increase in health care costs, which we thought would be a high estimate. The actual increase turned out to be almost 26%, resulting in a projected increase of close to $2 million for Hanover and Dresden.

These unexpected assessments and increases are challenging, to say the least. We continue to examine every avenue to mitigate the impact of these costs on our school budgets while ensuring our staff has access to necessary benefits.

Important Policy Update: Electronic Device Policy

We have successfully addressed the new legislative changes regarding electronic devices in schools in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Our schools have been proactively implementing changes over the past two years, and this week our Board finalized a new Electronic Device Policy, JICJ.

Action Requested:

• Please take a moment to review the new Electronic Device Policy (JICJ) with your child. The schools will also be reviewing this policy with all students.
• The new policy strongly asks that children keep their personal electronic devices at home or ensure they are not accessible/visible at all during the school day.

We know that the unrestricted use of electronic devices is having a negative impact on our children’s well-being and are making this change to foster a healthier, more focused learning environment.

Monitoring State Legislation

We continue to closely monitor legislative discussions that could impact our District:

• District Restructuring: We are staying abreast of discussions at the state level in both New Hampshire and Vermont regarding the restructuring of school districts and are monitoring the potential impact any changes might have on our current structure.
• New Hampshire Open Enrollment: We are also closely following the legislation in New Hampshire related to Open Enrollment.

Wishing You a Happy Break

Although we face challenges almost every day, I am once again thankful for our students, staff, and parents. We are fortunate to work in such a well-supported District.

I hope you enjoy time with your family over the upcoming break next week.

Robin Steiner
Superintendent SAU 70 Schools