WEARE – Students at John Stark Regional High School can expect newer technology and teachers will receive a new contract, if voters pass all warrant articles approved at the deliberative session of Town Meeting.

The district is asking for a $12.48 million budget, which is about $335,000 more than the default budget. The session, which took place Thursday, Feb. 7, was attended by about 20 Weare and Henniker residents and was completed in about an hour. All of the proposed article passed without being amended.

About two-thirds of the increase would go to improve technology at the school and for professional development for staff.

Many of the computers in the school are five years old and will soon fail to meet state benchmarks for performance, according to School Board member Don Gage.

The other third goes to raises in utility costs, insurance and care and upkeep.

An article that would approve a new teachers contract also passed without change. The article for the newly negotiated three-year teacher contract calls for approximately $365,000 in the first year and averages an increase of 4.88 percent over the three years.

The contract also increases the amount of health insurance paid for by employees to 10 to 20 percent and re-establishes the traditional step-and-track system, as found in neighboring and competing school districts.

“This contract means we’ll continue to be competitive in regards to other schools and professions,” said School Board member J. Richard Ludders.

For Weare residents, the tax impact of approving the contract would be 28 cents per $1,000 assessed property value. The impact of approving the operating budget would be 50 cents per $1,000 assessed property value.

Other warrant articles had an eye toward the future, asking to put surplus funds in trust funds to repair and maintain the roof and to use for upgrading and developing grounds and field. Each asks to take 50 percent of any surplus, up to $25,000, to place in the trust. There would be no tax impact if these articles pass because the money would come from surplus funds.

At the end of the meeting, School Board Chairman Monte Brown was presented a gift and given a standing ovation for his years of service to the board, of which this is the last. Voting takes place Tuesday, March 11, at Center Woods Elementary School, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.