Auburn News : Central High School

Local towns wait to see what Manchester will do with high school budget cuts

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:56:00 GMT

With the Manchester Board of School Committee having announced several times they would not authorize the dissemination of 80 pink slips to teachers in Manchester schools this year, communities holding tuition contracts with Manchester’s school district are breathing a wary sigh of relief as they wonder how the funding will play out.

“I’m guardedly optimistic,” said Elaine Hobbs, chairman of the Auburn School Board. “I think that the Manchester Board of School Committee is working really hard to make sure that the students within the Manchester school district are provided with the best education they could possibly get.”

The deadline for layoff notifications has come and gone, but a few teachers have left for other positions in anticipation of losing their jobs.

Hooksett, Auburn, Candia and Bedford all have tuition contracts with Manchester that stipulate class sizes remain under 30 students and that nothing happens that jeopardizes Manchester schools’ accreditation.

Since the city of Manchester’s public budget meeting on April 28, which about 2,000 people attended, the Manchester Board of School Committee has reiterated three times that they would not issue pink slips to teachers in the district.

The Board of School Committee asked for $153 million to cover the costs for the district in 2008-09, but Mayor Frank Guinta cut that to $140 million.

While school expenses comprise about half of the city’s overall $276 million budget proposal, the school budget number is $7.3 million less than the district’s 2007-08 appropriation.

Manchester’s Board of Aldermen must approve a budget for the city, including the school district’s portion of the budget, by June 10.

Some aldermen have said they would be happy with tax increases of between 2 to 4 percent, or a budget around $145 million, for the school district. A school appropriation of $145 million would still be $2.3 million less than what they’ve been authorized to spend this year.

The sending towns had scheduled a non-public meeting with Guinta on Tuesday, May 13, to discuss the budgetary impacts on students from those towns. While not all board members from the sending towns would be attending the meeting, Hooksett School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette said she would be there.

“I don’t think it’s my place to comment on what dollar amount the Manchester School District budget should be. I think it’s our responsibility as a sending town to be sure that Manchester is adhering to the terms of the tuition agreement,” said Ouellette.

“My concern is with the quality of the educational experience of our students attending Manchester high schools. The sending towns have lived up to their end of the tuition agreement and we fully expect Manchester to do the same,” she added.

All four school districts sent letters from their attorneys to Manchester reminding them of their obligation to maintain class sizes and accreditation status in keeping with the terms of their contracts.

While the boards of the sending towns agreed it is a waiting game for them, they added they are watching the situation closely to see what direction should be taken.

“Passing a budget of any number does not put Manchester in violation of the contract,” said Candia School Board Chairman Ed Caito. “At this point, I think we have to let the budget process play itself out in Manchester.”

Ouellette said part of the problem may lie in Manchester’s timing in developing their budget.

“If it were done earlier in the year, as is done in Hooksett, there wouldn’t be the need to even consider pink slips to the staff. Everyone would know well in advance what the budget would be for the following year,” she said.

Gagnon, among all Manchester grapplers, reaches New Englands

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:24:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Among city schools competing at the Meet of Champions, it was Manchester Memorial finishing highest with 20 points to Central’s 13 and West’s 10.

That’s due, in large part, to Jacob Gagnon’s second-place finish in the 215-pound weight class at the meet on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Londonderry High School.

As one of eight grapplers to reach the MOC from Queen City schools, the Memorial standout repeated his Division I performance, making it to the finale and losing to Concord’s Marshall Gleason. He was pinned the first meeting, but lost a 9-7 decision this time around.

The effort earned the Gagnon a trip to the New England Championship on Friday, Feb. 29, and Saturday, March 1, in Lowell, Mass., where he won the Lowell Holiday Tournament in December.

Central’s Juan Taveras came in fifth place by pinning Bow’s Jim Paveglio.

West 135-pounder Jared Crain of Bedford, who took second at the D-I meet, and 145- pounder Casey Bradford each finished sixth.

Other locals reaching the MOC but not placing include Memorial 130-pounder Brandon Marquez and 189-pounder Chris Violette, West’s John Miller at 189 pounds, and Central 152-pounder Miles Davis.

Bedford High School 112- pounder Caleb Earnshaw, a sophomore who earned fourth place in Division II a week earlier, also reached the Meet of Champions, but didn’t place.

Crusader softball edges Central in its last at-bat

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:26:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Kelsey Isham really is a good sport. But after driving in the game-winning run and earning her team a victory over a favorite rival, the Auburn native couldn’t resist going over to remind her opponents of the play.

It’s not something you’d usually see Isham do, but this opposing lineup was different.

“Well, I know most of them. We’re all friends,” said Isham after leading the Crusaders’ 2-1 win over Queen City foe Central.

“It’s different when we’re playing against each other, but once the game’s over, we’re all friends again. If it were the other way around, a Central player would come here, and we’d be happy for her, too.”

With two outs and pinch runner Heather Ryan of Auburn on second base, Isham stroked a single to score Ryan in the bottom of the seventh inning, sending the Crusaders into celebration and Central head coach Trish Ellis to face a frustrated lineup.

“We’re still making the mental mistakes that are costing us games,” said Ellis. “This was a great game. Both pitchers were on par, and it looked good until the end where we made a mistake on a play we shouldn’t have. I know if (we) just play the way (we) can, those mistakes won’t happen.”

Hosting the Little Green on Friday, May 4, Memorial, last year’s Class L runner up, posted nine hits in Central starter Ashley Kitchell’s complete-game performance.

Trailing, 1-0, entering the bottom of the fifth, Memorial tied things when catcher Sam Hebert singled and later scored on third baseman Rachel Hedge’s groundout.

Crusaders head coach Dave Hedge said intra-city match-ups aren’t played often enough. “This is like a playoff atmosphere,” said Hedge after the game. “I wish they’d let us play each Manchester team more than once. I’m not sure about the other Manchester coaches, but I certainly would love to do that. The rivalry is special, one pride vs. another. This time it was red, white and blue over green and white pride.”

Familiarity amongst players on Manchester teams, said Hedge, enhances long-standing rivalries. “Throw out the records,” said Hedge. “They don’t matter when it’s an intra-city rival. The idea they Isham said the idea of seeing her summer-league teammates in different uniforms “makes things more exciting.”

know each other adds to the game. It doesn’t make one team have an advantage or disadvantage over another. It just adds to the game.” On Friday, May 11, Central hosts Alvirne. Memorial visits Nashua North.

All-around effort - Different styles highlight local programs

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:46:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

SALEM – As athletes representing Manchester Memorial at this year’s NHIAA Girls Gymnastics State Championship meet, Amanda Campbell and Stephanie Day displayed two distinct types of competitiveness at the meet on Saturday, Feb. 10.

After performing in all four events, Campbell walked away frustrated, quiet and not quite ready to listen to her coach’s words of encouragement.

“I’m usually better on floor and vault,” said an upset Campbell. “Those are awful scores. I wanted to be in the top six in those events, but I put too much pressure on myself, and it backfired.”

Day, though, remained calm after receiving scores in her three events. Though she fell once during her balance beam routine, the junior from Auburn simply smiled and said she isn’t that competitive.

Joining these polar-opposite Crusaders were the girls of Central, who brought another gymnast recognized for her competitive nature. Nicole Simoneau repeated as the individual state champion, finishing with 36.600 points in the all-around. Entering the meet as the favorite, Simoneau placed second on the bars with 9.050 points, sixth on balance beam with 8.825 points, first on floor exercise with 9.350 points and first on vault with 9.375 points.

Day called Simoneau “a competitor who’s so nice and humble about it,” saying the Central gymnast holds her accomplishments dear but makes herself approachable.

Manchester head coach Meg Norklun, who leads the three public school Queen City teams, said Campbell and Day’s disparate reactions to their performances is one of her favorite aspects of coaching high school teams.

“It’s nice because you can find girls who are one way and some who are the other,” said Norklun. “You get to see various levels and personalities, and it’s a bit of a nice challenge to try and blend it all together into one team.”

Simoneau led Central to a third-place finish with 131.325 points.

Chelsie Gilbert scored 8.250 on the vault and 7.700 on the beam; Sarah Conley scored 8.100 on the vault, 6.400 on the bars and 8.075 on the floor exercise; and Ansley Smith finished with 8.650 on the vault, 8.200 on the beam and 9.075 on the floor exercise.

Rounding out Central’s scoring were Bonnie Duval, who scored 6.800 on the bars, and Grace Fitzgerald, who finished with 7.225 on the bars, 7.900 on the balance beam and 8.350 on the floor exercise.

Despite Campbell’s frustration after recording an 8.725 on the floor exercise and 8.350 on the vault, she admitted the feeling wouldn’t last too long.

“I’m really competitive, but I’ll let it go later today,” said Campbell. “It’s funny because some of us are like me, and some are like Steph and are totally laid-back no matter how they do. It just depends. It’s cool to see the dynamic, though.”

Results

For Memorial, Campbell finished 21st overall with 33.325 points; Day scored 23.525 points. Stephanie Dollard of Auburn finished with 15.850 points.

For Central, Smith placed 29th with 31.925 points; Conley posted 22.575 points; Molly Friden-Cowan tallied 15.225 points; Emi Clark earned 15.050 points; Duval posted 13.850 points; and Lucy Weathers earned 5.100 points.

For Pembroke Academy, Jen Acheson finished 13th overall with 34.050 points. Kelsey Dobe placed 44th with 28.100 points.