Fed up with a lack of communication and funding issues with Manchester public schools, the Hooksett School Board has sent a scathing letter to the mayor of Manchester and is talking about building a new high school here.

Hooksett has a 20-year tuition agreement to send its public high school students to Manchester and has had such an agreement for generations. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Cawley Middle School, members of the Hooksett School Board and volunteers on a study committee will hold a forum to take ideas from the public on the high school issue.

The letter, which represents the consensus of the board and was signed by Chairman Paul Cournoyer, says Hooksett will “use all legitimate tools available to launch a forceful protest” against Manchester’s lack of school funding.

Among several allegations, Hooksett says Manchester used $10.6 million paid by the town of Bedford to offset the city’s tax rate when the money was supposed to be used for schools. Bedford paid the money to relinquish its contract with Manchester after Bedford built its own high school.

The letter also criticizes Manchester for not using money from school impact fees in the school budget, raises concerns about pay-to-play sports programs, says Central High School has continually not been brought up to state maintenance codes, and raises concerns about a low student population at West High School as a result of Bedford’s pullout.

The letter was dated Sept. 8, but several School Board members said they have not gotten a response from Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, who also serves as the city’s School Board chairman, and said Manchester School Board members were not made aware of it.

When reached on Oct. 6, Guinta’s public affairs adviser, Mark Laliberte, said the mayor planned to discuss the letter at the next School Board meeting.

“This letter will be addressed at the School Board meeting on Monday,” Laliberte said. “We’ll put it on the agenda.”

At the Oct. 6 Hooksett School Board meeting, members of a voluntary high school study committee discussed building a new high school in Hooksett. The committee, which includes Bedford High School Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey, cited several studies showing student populations between 500 and 800 are optimal. Hooksett had 588 high school students last year.

Board members stressed that building a high school in town is not Hooksett’s only option. There could be a restructuring in Manchester or talks with other communities.

“I don’t think the public knows what we’ve done as a School Board about our dissatisfaction with Manchester,” School Board member Todd Dumont said. “We sent a letter and haven’t received a response.”

“We’ve had umpteen conversations with the superintendent of Manchester,” Dana Argo, vice chairman, said.