BY ROD HANSEN

A largely subdued deliberative session of New Boston’s School District Meeting came alive during talks on funding for a school expansion study on Thursday, Feb. 8.

The study appears on Article 4 of the school district warrant, requesting $33,000 for a survey of the New Boston School District property and a “study of the feasibility of adding facilities for expansion of the elementary school which may include the addition of Grades 7 and 8.”

The money would come from unreserved fund balances, and board member Jamie Neefe said the article does not constitute a direct proposal to add seventh and eighth grades to New Boston Central School.

“We’re not looking to design seventh and eighth grade. We’re looking to study buildable land. We’re trying to see what we have to work with and then decide if we’re going to do it.”

After a brief explanation, the article drew fire on two counts.

“A previous study on this has been conducted. I don’t understand the use of this money when it could go back to the taxpayer,” said resident Laura Robbins.

Neefe said previous studies of the New Boston Central School property had not addressed the prospect of adding seventh and eighth grades.

Currently, New Boston sends students of those grade levels to Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown.

Principal Rick Matthews said no full studies of the property had ever been conducted, and that previous studies had only been partial. Matthews also noted that a property study would help the school address its current space needs.

Resident Mike Ethier questioned whether the study would address whether New Boston Central School property could meet state athletic requirements for middle school students.

Regarding that issue, Matthews said a K-8 school might not have the same requirements as a middle school.
Voters recommended putting the $33,000 article on the ballot without changes, after a failed amendment from Robbins to reduce the dollar amount to zero.

“I think the study’s already been done, and we’re just beating a dead horse,” said Robbins.

The operating budget this year is proposed at $9.4 million, which is $112,153 more that the default amount. School board member Audrey Schneider said the district had seen increases in special education and
transportation line items this year, though other costs such as tuition to Goffstown High School had gone down.

Voters in March will also decide on a new contract with the New Boston teachers union. The contract calls that taxpayers raise $119,039 in the first of its four-year term.

Official voting for the New Boston School District Meeting is set for Tuesday, March 13, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the New Boston Central School gymnasium.