School items

The new Windham High School may have new colors and a new mascot after a citizen petitioned warrant article was approved by voters. But big-ticket warrants dealing with athletic facilities were soundly defeated.

The $34.4 million school operating budget passed 1,503-869.

A total of 2,588 of Windham’s 9,208 registered voters weighed in on March 11, a turnout of 28 percent.

Michael Hatem and Mark Brockmeier took the two open School Board seats, Hatem receiving 1,346 votes and Brockmeier 889 votes.

Article 5, asking voters to fund a $1.25 million bond to construct a secondary access from the High School was voted down by a slim margin, 1,270 to 1,234. Article 16, on the ballot by petition, asked voters to change the Windham High School colors to green, gold and white, and to make the Wildcat the school’s official mascot.

Voters passed the article in a 1,414-to-973 vote.

Windham voters also defeated approving a bond to construct an additional gymnasium and sports center plus three more athletic fields at Windham High School.

The items contained in the $5,498,480 article, including all design and engineering costs, road and site work, and construction were consolidated into one article at the school district deliberative sesson. The article failed in a 1,370-to-1,179 vote.

A three-year collective bargaining agreement between the School Board and teacher’s union passed with 1,600 voters approving its funding and 819 opposing it.

The agreement will pay out $484,060 in teacher salary and benefit increases for 2008- 09; $507,620 for 2009-10; and $483,618 for 2010-11.

An article asking for $65,000 to add a new Spanish teacher position at the school failed. Also, an attempt to add an assistant principal position for Golden Brook Elementary School was defeated.

Voters did support a Windham School Board initiative to explore breaking away from School Administrative Unit 28, which also covers Pelham. Article 14, which passed in a 1,563 to 766 vote, allows the School Board to establish a committee to look into the withdrawal. The School Board will appoint two members, the school district moderator will appoint five members and the superintendent – currently Dr. Frank Bass – would serve as a nonvoting member on the committee.

Windham voters also favored changing the terms of the school district clerk, moderator and treasurer to three years from the current one-year term, with 1,701 voting in favor and 688 against.

Town items

Windham voters pass all money warrant items placed before them on the ballot this year. About 28 percent of the 9,208 voters on the checklist voted on Tuesday, March 11.

In the Board of Selectmen race, candidates vied for two open three-year seats; Charles McMahon and Galen Stearns came out of the race sitting in them.

McMahon, a state representative and former selectman, received a total of 1,241 votes. Also a former selectman, Stearns won the most votes with a total of 1,256.

“I appreciate the support of all my friends and neighbors who voted for me, and I commit to do the best job that they expect me to,” said McMahon.

Voters approved the town’s proposed 2008-09 operating budget of $11,645,020 by a wide margin, with 1,850 voting in favor and 544 voting against.

All monetary warrant articles passed, representing a 6.47 percent increase over last year’s town budget.

The projected increase in the tax rate is 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, assuming the town’s revenue projections are met. For homes assessed at $300,000, this is a projected tax bill increase of $102 for the coming year.

Among the articles on the ballot was one to hire four additional firefighters to the Windham Fire Department with the help of a federal grant from Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER).

The article passed with a vote of 1,308 to 1,089, agreeing to raise $182,230 in taxes for the town’s portion of the costs, with SAFER providing $101,200. The amount reimbursed will decline over the coming years until 2012. By then, Windham taxpayers will have contributed $1,154,925 and the grant will have reimbursed $421,700.

Article 14, which asked voters for $73,200 to construct bike paths along Route 111 from Lowell Road to Golden Brook School, passed 1,472 to 847. The money will be added to $160,000 previously raised by taxpayers in past years, the total town share being $233,200. The state is paying 80 percent of the total costs.

Article 15, asking for $33,000 for design and engineering costs to repair Windham Depot, passed 1,471 to 910. The state will pay 80 percent of the total project costs, the town’s overall share being $52,000 with the state reimbursing $210,000.

Police and fire union contracts also went through.

Voters also approved Article 13 in a 1,569-to-731 vote, asking taxpayers to raise $11,317 for the town’s share of the building costs to renovate the Castlehill Road Bridge.

The state is paying $401,268 for the project, 80 percent of the total amount of $501,585, and a private developer is paying $89,000.