The state Board of Education sent Hooksett’s SAU Withdrawal Committee back to the drawing board for more information on what pulling out of SAU 15 would mean for the two remaining towns, Auburn and Candia.

At a hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 9, the state rejected the Withdrawal Committee’s study, which outlines the plans for withdrawal and projected impacts for both the new Hooksett SAU and SAU 15, in a 4-1 vote.

According to minutes, the state called for more information about the educational and monetary consequences for pulling out and encouraged the Withdrawal Committee to work closely with Auburn and Candia school boards on their plan. The state turned down the previous plan in December 2006, asking for more information.

John Lyons, chairman of the state board, said commenting further on what specifically the board wants to see in the application would be unfair to the towns involved.

SAU Withdrawal Committee chairman and School Board member Dana Argo said he believes the plan is sufficient and includes all of the fiscal and educational information the state should need to approve it.

The state’s decision not to approve will set the committee back another year, as the approved plan was to go before voters at this year’s School District Meeting.

“I think it’s difficult for the state Board of Education to move a plan forward when the two remaining communities are so opposed to it,” said Maura Ouellette, a Withdrawal Committee and Hooksett School Board member. “What’s really unfortunate is that the Hooksett voters don’t get the opportunity to go to the polls and vote on this issue. This essentially blocks them from having any say in how they would like to see their school district run in the future.”

Argo said he feels strongly about the withdrawal, citing thousands of new housing units in the pipeline and an overstretched SAU staff as clues that Hooksett, which comprises 58 percent of the current SAU, should pull out.

“There’s not really a blackand- white answer for when to withdraw, but we think the time is now,” Argo said.

Auburn School Board Chairman Elaine Hobbs said the plan makes assumptions about Auburn and Candia without collaboration from the two towns.

She referenced a section in the plan that says Auburn and Candia could house SAU 15 in their new middle school after Hooksett leaves. The joint middle school proposal will go to voters in both towns in this year’s election.

Both Hobbs and Candia School Board Chairman Karen Smith said they have not heard from the SAU Withdrawal Committee for collaboration since October 2006.

Both also pointed to what they said were miscalculations in the outlined budgets for the new Hooksett School District and the two-town SAU 15, errors they said likely swayed the state board’s decision.

Based on enrollment figures, Hooksett owns 58 percent of the current SAU 15’s assets and pays the same percentage of its annual operating budget, with Candia and Auburn splitting the remaining 42 percent.

The projected costs for Hooksett would remain much the same for the new SAU. Hooksett will contribute $521,081 to the coming year’s SAU 15 operating budget, and, according to the Withdrawal Committee’s calculations, would contribute $521,064 to the operating budget for their new SAU, plus one-time capital costs, including relocating the SAU office to the Cawley School.

Auburn and Candia would see almost 50 percent increases in their contributions to the SAU operating budget and the current building’s rent.

The plan also outlines the payroll for a new SAU staff for Hooksett, which would may take away the services of Superintendent Phil Littlefield and Assistant Superintendent Gail Kushner, among others.

The plan showed a $105,00 salary in the new Hooksett SAU operating budget for a superintendent.

Littlefield currently makes $14,000 more than that.

Ouellette noted the high turnover rate of superintendents in the past decade.

“There would be nothing preventing any individual from applying to the new Hooksettonly SAU if they so desired,” she said.

“I think everyone agrees Phil is an outstanding superintendent. The question is how long can he continue at this pace?” Ouellette said.

Hobbs said she doesn’t think Hooksett looked into other options closely enough.

“I think the SAU staff works very hard,” she said. “I think they might be shortstaffed, but I think the solution is not to separate the staff.”

The withdrawal plan is available for viewing on the Hooksett School District’s Web site, http://www.hooksett.k12.nh.us