BY DARRELL HALEN
Discussion of funding for Windham’s high school building project dominated the Windham School District’s deliberative session.
For about two hours, people discussed plans for the school and three warrant articles that each provide a different level of funding for the construction project.
The meeting was at Golden Brook School on Friday, Feb. 9.
The school board explained that they are asking voters to permit them to spend $3 million in interest from the bonds approved for the high school two years ago. Passage of this warrant article at the polls in March will not raise taxes.
This article, known as Article 4, would allow the school district to construct a high school with a student capacity of 800 students and capacity of core facilities — such as the gymnasium and media center — for 1,000 students.
The school would have 50 teaching spaces, a media center, one gym, a 600-seat auditorium, a fitness area, a cafeteria, special education areas, a life skills area, and administration, faculty and heath offices.
There would be football, soccer, baseball and practice fields; and a kitchen to serve the high school only. The article provides $2 million for furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
School board member Al Letizio said voters can add to the school by approving one or two bond warrant articles this year.
“There’s a tiered approach here,” Letizio said.
Passage of Article 2 would provide $4 million that would enable the school district to build the school for 1,000 students; add a dozen classrooms, faculty areas and small group instructional areas; spend $500,000 more on equipment, furnishings and equipment; add more athletic fields; and increase the kitchen’s capacity to serve the entire school district.
The estimated tax impact on a $400,000 home during the most expensive year would be $60.
Article 3 provides $3 million to add a lecture hall, a small gym, outdoor lighting and bleachers, a greenhouse, and to convert one playing field to a turf sports field.
Passage of Article 3 is contingent upon Article 2 being passed.
The estimated tax impact of the two bond articles on a $400,000 home during the most expensive year would be $104.
Both bond articles require a 60 percent majority to pass.
Regardless if Articles 2 and 3 are approved, the school would have a core capacity of 1,000 students.
If the school is built with classroom space for 800 students, there will be enough room for five to seven years. If it’s built for 1,000 students, there will enough room to last 10 to 15 years.
The school board is proposing the warrant articles as three options to voters. Option A is to approve only spending the interest money.
Option B is to approve spending the interest money along with the $4 million bond article. Option is C is to approve all three articles.
The March ballot, however, will not refer to options. And although the interest money article is the article the other articles are “layered” on, it actually appears on the ballot after the other two articles.
That’s because, by law, bond articles must appear first on the ballot.
Margaret Case was one of several people who voiced support for all three articles.
“We have to get this done and over with and do it right,” Case said, drawing applause from some in the audience.
Although all five school board members support using the interest money, members Barbara Coish and Beverly Donovan do not support the two bond articles.
Coish said they wanted more planning done before requesting additional money. She added that drilling hasn’t been done yet to see what the water yield will be and that school and town officials are waiting for a recreation master plan from the Rockingham Planning Commission.
Letizio, Beth Valentine and Bruce Anderson, who was not at the deliberative session, support all three articles.
“If we put off expenses, the expenses will be higher,” Letizio said.
The school board’s proposed operating budget for the school district for 2007 - 2008 is $30,797,659. That’s up 5.62 percent from the current budget.
Resident Bob Coole made an unsuccessful attempt to add $140,000 to the budget.
Coole wanted the money added to create two new positions: a new assistant principal at Golden Brook School and a new librarian. He cited the large number of students expected to come into the school as a reason for bringing on another principal.
And with Principal Beth McGuire planning to retire at the end of the next school year, the new job could provide a “nice transition,” he said.
Coish said warrant articles to fund those positions were going to put before voters but a majority of the school board later decided to eliminate them.
Coish said she wanted the warrant articles to stay in, citing that a warrant article to fund the new librarian almost passed last year and that it would be advantageous to have another principal at Golden Brook with McGuire leaving.
Letizio said board members believe that the positions are important but don’t want to jeopardize passage of the high school articles.
“It’s a matter of priorities,” Valentine added.
Valentine said the school is expected to have just below 500 students - the threshold the state recommends having a second principal - this year. The need for the second principal was not critical and could wait a year, she said.
Valentine said she hoped volunteers could help ease the workload on Diana Greenleaf, the district’s librarian.