Kids First Monadnock!

Just a quick report on the deliberative session that just adjourned a few hours ago.

• Turn out was light: Perhaps the lightest I have seen in the three years I have been attending. Attendance to such a parliamentary meeting is a tough sell.
• Things remained essentially unchanged: Board member Tim Aho of Sullivan attempted to raise one of the maintenance articles (#6) by $701,340, but the amendment did not did not pass. (This was just one example of schism within the board.) The words “Existing” and “Advisory only” were added to Article 15 in an attempt to make its intent more clear.
• Article 14 was unchanged. Watch this space in the weeks ahead to learn more about why many of us feel the best way forward for our district is to have one elected governance body, not two.
• The Board has its challenges with unity. At several points during the meeting it seemed several members of the board wished to continue their deliberations and negotiations. It was not a confidence building display for the members of the audience.
• Half the budget committee left before the meeting was adjourned! Proving that many of them are not really interested in what the public has to say, nearly half of the Budget committee left during discussion on Article 13 “To listen to the opinions of a purely advisory nature with regards to the conduct of school affairs for the ensuing year.” Between this display and the Chair’s attempted lawsuit we have a pretty good backdrop to make the case for voting yes on Art. 14.

Up next is March 11 when the voters will have their say. We will continue to publish information in the coming weeks to assist you with your ballot box decisions.