VOTER INFORMATION

Welcome to Session I of the 1999 School District Meeting. This is the so-called "deliberative session." Each of the warrant articles listed will be read and discussed, and are subject to amendment by those present.

Session II, to be held on March 9, will be limited to voting on the articles on the written ballot, to include election of school moderator and school board positions.

Recognition:

Prior to the deliberation of the warrant articles, John Lowy will receive a Distinguished Service Award for his service to the district.

Article 3: Shall the School District raise and appropriate the sum of $19,724,705 for the partial reconstruction, enlargement, renovation and equipping of the high school, said sum to be in addition to any federal, state, or private funds made available therefore; and authorize the issuance of not more than $19,724,705 of bond or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA Chapter 33); and authorize the School Board to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereto; or take any action relative thereto? Furthermore, shall the School District raise and appropriate the additional sum of $532,408 for the payment of the first year's interest on the bonds or notes authorized by this article?

The $19,724,705 bond article provides the resources necessary for the renovation and expansion of Oyster River High School. There are two major problems areas with Oyster River High School as it currently exists. The first set of problems are infrastructure issues. The high school's internal systems - heating, ventilation, communications and electrical - are all well over thirty years old. They are worn out, not through abuse, but simply a matter of age. A building which was well designed in the 1960's simply does not meet the needs of a 21st century high school. Science labs need to be upgraded. There is not sufficient electrical service to support technology. Industrial technology programs have far different needs from traditional shop classes. Other infrastructure problems relate to handicapped accessibility, the need for more flexible space to deal with special education, ESL, 504 and other educational requirements which simply did not exist when the building was originally designed.

The second set of problems relates to space - the building is too small to handle our present and future educational program and enrollment needs. The space problem exists both in terms of core facilities and classrooms. The current core facilities (cafeteria, gymnasium and library) are all inadequate for our present enrollment. This problem will be exacerbated as the student population grows. The overall size of the building is too small for the number of people it services. It is impossible to move around the corridors without feeling extremely crowded.

The proposed project addresses all of these problem areas. Those spaces that are not completely rebuilt will be refurbished. New floors, ceiling, lights, heating, electrical, communication, roof and ventilation systems will be installed. The design of the commons areas will provide a feeling of open space that does not currently exist. The present gymnasium will be converted into a 500 seat dual-use auditorium/classroom, the cafeteria will be expanded to hold up to 480 students for lunch, and a new gymnasium will be added to the building to provide adequate space for four concurrent physical education classes. There will be an increase of 23 instruction spaces, including nine new science classrooms/labs, two computer labs, and additional space for art and music programs. The project is also designed to provide adequate conference areas for both student and parent meetings.

Article 4: Shall the District raise and appropriate the sum of $15,000 and authorize the purchase of approximately 2.5 acres of land on Bagdad Road adjacent to the high school property on such terms and conditions as the School Board deems are in the best interests of the District? Said sum to be offset by the proceeds generated by the sale of the Orchard Drive property authorized by a vote of the District at the 1997 School District Meeting?

This is a key element in the overall solution to the infrastructure problems at Oyster River High School. The proposal calls for a new entrance into the high school off Bagdad Road. This will alleviate the congestion on Coe Drive both when school is in session and during evening events. The purchase of this parcel of land gives the district access to Bagdad as well as provides space for additional parking on the current site. There is also the potential for the future development of additional playing fields. This purchase will not require additional tax dollars as it will be fully funded from the proceeds of the sale of district owned property. This purchase is not included in the Bond article because the purchase of land requires a separate action by the legislative body (the Annual District Meeting).

Article 5: Shall the District vote to approve within the provisions of New Hampshire RSA 273-A:3 the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached with the Oyster River Teachers' Guild which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits over the prior year: 

	1998 - 99 		$0
	1999 - 00		$454,390

	2000 - 01		the increase will range from 2% to 5% based 
	2001 - 02		on the increase in the cost of living for the 
	2002 - 03		previous 12 months
and further to raise and appropriate the sum of $454,390 in 1999 -2000 for the additional costs attributable to the increases in salaries and benefits over those paid in the prior fiscal year?

The Oyster River School Board and Oyster River Teachers Guild have agreed to a five year contract which runs through June 2003. The proposed contract calls for no salary increases for the current (1998-99) school year and a 2.5% increase in 1999 -2000. In addition, all teachers will be placed on the appropriate step of the salary schedule. Increases for the remaining three years of the contract are indexed to the cost of living with a minimum increase of 2% and a maximum increase of 5%. Other features of the contract are changes in language related to supervision and evaluation, a provision for early retirement, reduction in sick leave, adjusted reimbursements for workshop and staff development activities, and increase in pay for teaching summer school classes.

Article 6: Shall the District create an expendable trust fund under the provisions of RSA 198:20-c, to be known as the Special Education Fund, for the purpose of meeting unanticipated special education costs? Furthermore, to name the School Board as agents to expend from this fund, and to raise and appropriate up to $50,000 towards this purpose, with such amount to be funded from the year end undesignated fund balance?

In the past the District has covered the cost of unanticipated special education costs through a deficit appropriation article at each annual meeting. While this has been an effective process it has required freezing all but emergency expenditures until after the appropriation has been approved. This impacts the entire budget - regular education and operating costs as well as special education. This fund is an attempt to reduce the need for this type of action by creating a savings account funded from unexpended funds at the end of the current school year. The fund can only be used for unanticipated special education expenses. Its existence will assure the School Board that there are some funds available to deal with these unanticipated costs. This fund will not completely eliminate the need for a deficit appropriation but should reduce the frequency of its use. Moreover since it is funded from the end-of-the-year fund balance, it will not require raising additional tax dollars.

Article 7: Shall the District vote to establish a capital reserve fund under the provisions of RSA 35:1 to be known as the Facilities Development Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of future development of facilities to meet the needs of the Oyster River Cooperative School District, and to designate the School Board as agents to expend from said Capital Reserve Fund; and further raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed $125,000 to be added to this fund with such amount to be funded from the year-end fund balance available on July 1? Said sum represents the balance of the proceeds to be generated by the sale of the Orchard Drive property authorized by a vote of the District at the 1997 School District Meeting.

This article creates a capital reserve fund using the balance of proceeds from the sale of the district owned property. The fund is designed to help meet the future needs of the district. The fund can be used for either the further development of existing facilities or for the development of a new facility. The types of activities envisioned include the development of playing fields or the expansion/updating of technologies. The fund could also be used for site analysis and testing if it is determined than an additional elementary school is needed. Any expenditures from this fund will require approval from the legislative body at an annual or special school district meeting.

Article 8: Submitted by twenty-five or more qualified voters: "Shall the District raise and appropriate the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to be deposited in the existing expendable trust fund known as "Track Fund - District Support"?"

To be addressed by petitioners.

Article 9: Submitted by twenty-five or more qualified voters: "Shall all such costs [capital outlay and operations of the cooperative school district] be apportioned on the basis of the ratio that the equalized valuation of each pre-existing district bears to that of the cooperative district?"

To be addressed by petitioners.

Article 10: Shall the School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant article, the amount set forth on the budget posted with the warrant, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $19,247,325, distributed as follows: Fund 10 = $18,216,025 (regular operating budget); Fund 22 = $497,300 (expenditures from federal/special revenues); Fund 21 = $534,000 (expenditures from food service revenues)? Should this article be defeated, the budget shall be $18,812,897, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the school district, or by law, or the school district may hold one special meeting in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only?

The proposed budget is summarized on page 5. The proposed operating budget (fund 10) of $18,216,025 is an increase of $520,449 (2.94%) over 1998-99.

Additional personnel account for 66% of the increase, and these increases break down as follows: (1) regular education staff $56,224 (1.35 fte) needed to meet increased enrollment and program demand at the middle and high schools, (2) special education staff $160,078 (3.5 fte) to meet increased needs across all grade levels, (3) guidance staff $23,623 (.5 fte) to deal with the increased enrollment at the high school, (4) library staff $24,388 (.4 fte) to meet growing demand at both elementary schools, (5) a district wide ESL coordinator (.5 fte) to help meet the needs of our growing ESL population, and (5) a district wide technology coordinator (1.0 fte) to facilitate the integration of technology into all curricula areas and to provide direct technology training for all staff.

The balance of the increase is attributable to increases in: (1) transportation ($82,359) needed to meet the increased demands resulting from growth in enrollment and length of bus routes, (2) special education services ($140,780) resulting from an increase in the cost of out-of-district tuitions and in-district support services, and (3) modular classrooms at Mohariment School ($109,152) to provide space for enrollment.

Default Budget Impact (see page 6)

1999-2000 PROPOSED SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET

Below is the proposed 1999-2000 operating budget (Fund 10 under state requirements) in the amount of $18,216,025. Also to be acted upon is Fund 22 in the amount of $497,300 for federal and special revenues; and Fund 21, the food service budget at $534,000. The three funds total $19,247,325. Funds 22 & 21 do not affect local taxation.

  1997-98 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 1999-00 Amount %
Account Number Budget Actual Budget Requested Recomm'd Increase Incr
1100 REGULAR PROGRAM
     SALARIES $5,906,874 $5,893,888 $6,066,588 $6,362,341 $6,176,730 $110,142 1.8
  BENEFITS $1,374,051 $1,353,057 $1,463,468 $1,531,421 $1,531,558 $68,090 4.65
  ENRICHMENT $10,696 $9,572 $20,305 $20,576 $19,268 -$1,037 -5.11
  EQUIPMENT REPAIRS $30,327 $22,179 $30,147 $40,278 $34,575 $4,428 14.69
  TELECOMMUNICATIONS $25,925 $20,782 $44,869 $44,450 $48,400 $3,531 7.87
  INSTR SUPPLIES $128,680 $119,681 $133,214 $128,236 $130,198 -$3,016 -2.26
  504 SUPPLIES $0 $0 $0 $400 $400 $400 0.00
  TEXTUAL MATERIALS $82,309 $71,877 $80,496 $94,584 $79,729 -$767 -0.95
  CMPTR SOFTWARE $28,970 $21,993 $30,970 $34,290 $25,018 -$5,952 -19.22
  CMPTR MATERIALS $11,443 $10,937 $10,083 $12,100 $12,050 $1,967 19.51
  NEW EQUIPMENT $32,449 $29,168 $34,511 $51,339 $39,269 $4,758 13.79
  COMPUTER HARDWARE $123,032 $119,685 $129,100 $140,621 $95,029 -$34,071 -26.39
  REPL EQUIPMENT $20,096 $15,864 $31,277 $35,081 $26,956 -$4,321 -13.82
  REPL CMPTR EQUIP $28,139 $29,405 $58,175 $100,794 $74,903 $16,728 28.75
TOTAL REGULAR PROGRAM $7,802,991 $7,718,087 $8,133,203 $8,596,511 $8,294,083 $160,880 1.98
1200 SPECIAL EDUCATION
  IN DISTRICT EXPENSES $1,650,989 $1,745,740 $1,883,196 $2,272,990 $2,198,313 $315,117 16.73
  TUITION $414,721 $459,606 $430,333 $329,849 $488,849 $58,516 13.60
TOTAL SPECIAL EDUCATION $2,065,710 $2,205,346 $2,313,529 $2,602,839 $2,687,162 $373,633 16.15
1300 VOCATIONAL PROGRAM $28,636 $28,828 $27,014 $27,014 $27,014 $0 0.00
OTHER INSTRUCTN PROGRAMS
  INTERSCHOL ATHLETICS $178,515 $178,284 $181,770 $202,953 $180,621 -$1,149 -0.63
  FIELD EXPERIENCES $28,238 $39,152 $40,553 $41,732 $40,132 -$421 -1.04
  CO-CURRIC ACTIVITIES $41,752 $45,459 $43,136 $48,258 $39,526 -$3,610 -8.37
TOTAL OTHER INSTRUCTN $248,505 $262,896 $265,459 $292,943 $260,279 -$5,180 -1.95
STUDENT SUPPORT SVCS
  2120 GUIDANCE $426,946 $427,740 $428,421 $467,252 $443,558 $15,137 3.53
  2130 HEALTH SVCS $228,070 $216,611 $243,286 $247,091 $246,696 $3,410 1.40
  2140 PSYCH SVCS $139,208 $140,162 $160,322 $130,622 $128,122 -$32,200 -20.08
  2150 SPEECH & LANG $59,547 $59,487 $119,079 $118,714 $118,714 -$365 -0.31
TOTAL STUDENT SPT SVCS $853,771 $844,000 $951,108 $963,679 $937,090 -$14,018 -1.47
STAFF SUPPORT SVCS
  2211 STUDENT ASSMNT $7,448 $7,255 $6,777 $9,672 $6,540 -$237 -3.50
  2212 CURRICULUM DEV $6,500 $3,855 $6,500 $7,000 $7,000 $500 7.69
  2213 STAFF DEV $35,890 $22,993 $45,670 $47,652 $47,652 $1,982 4.34
  2220 LIBR/MEDIA SVCS $414,456 $376,162 $444,275 $482,719 $454,509 $10,234 2.30
TOTAL STAFF SPT SVCS $464,294 $410,265 $503,222 $547,043 $515,701 $12,479 2.48
ADMINISTRATION
  2310 SCHL BOARD EXPN $83,429 $89,650 $92,275 $85,978 $85,978 -$6,297 -6.82
  2320 SUPT'S OFFICE $341,901 $325,755 $340,649 $397,309 $366,680 $26,031 7.64
  2410 SCHOOL ADMIN $865,686 $867,439 $903,581 $960,360 $930,366 $26,785 2.96
  2510 FISCAL SERVICES $383,783 $344,014 $391,460 $407,979 $407,963 $16,503 4.22
TOTAL ADMINISTRATION $1,674,799 $1,626,858 $1,727,965 $1,851,626 $1,790,987 $63,022 3.65
FACILITY OPERATIONS
  2621 CARE OF SCHOOL $535,591 $557,327 $565,990 $572,317 $572,317 $6,327 1.12
  2622 OPN OF SCHL PLNT $355,554 $350,736 $385,842 $383,109 $383,109 -$2,733 -0.71
  2623 MAINT OF SCHOOL $545,181 $587,993 $761,591 $794,594 $742,594 -$18,997 -2.49
TOTAL FACILITY OPNS $1,436,326 $1,496,056 $1,713,423 $1,750,020 $1,698,020 -$15,403 -0.90
TRANSPORTATION
  2721 REG TRANSP $731,578 $735,102 $813,186 $914,168 $914,168 $100,982 12.42
  2722 SP ED TRANSP $27,000 $15,851 $7,200 $16,000 $16,000 $8,800 122.22
  2724 INTRSCHL TRANSP $26,910 $26,910 $33,500 $38,300 $38,300 $4,800 14.33
TOTAL TRANSPORTATION $785,488 $777,864 $853,886 $968,468 $968,468 $114,582 13.42
OTHER DISTR EXPENDS
  2800 CENTR SPT SVCS $0 $0 $0 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 0.00
  5100 DEBT SERVICE $1,243,109 $1,243,109 $1,194,767 $1,021,721 $1,021,721 -$173,046 -14.48
  5200 TRANSFERS $0 $18,150 $12,000 $12,000 $12,000 $0 0.00
TOTAL OTHER DISTR EXPS $1,243,109 $1,261,259 $1,206,767 $1,037,221 $1,037,221 -$169,546 -14.05
 
BUDGET TOTAL $16,603,629 $16,631,459 $17,695,576 $18,637,364 $18,216,025 $520,449 2.94

FY2000 DEFAULT BUDGET: MAJOR IMPACTS

In comparison with the current 1998-99 Fund 10 Operating Budget ($17,695,576), the FY2000 default budget in the amount of $17,781,597 is only $86,021 more than the 1998-99 Fund 10 Budget. However, $259,067 is needed to meet existing personnel and special education obligations as follows:

The result is that the deficit budget necessitates $173,046 in reductions from current FY99 level of instruction/support accounts exclusive of personnel.

In comparison with the FY2000 Fund 10 Operating Budget ($18,216,025) recommended by the school board, the FY2000 DEFAULT BUDGET IS $434,428 LESS.

REDUCTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED DEFAULT BUDGET WOULD NECESSARILY COME FROM THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

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Last update on 29-Mar-99 at 9:27 PM.

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This page is edited by David K. Taylor. Please send questions or comments to editor@orol.org.