Adam Houghton

The First Session of the Annual Meeting addressed several Warrant Articles. Discussion on Warrant Article 2, the Operating Budget of $12,616,691, involved debate over an amendment proposing a lower budget of $11,595,762, specifically concerning unexpended funds, including an $800,000 amount; all amendments to Article 2 were defeated. Warrant Article 3 proposed raising $50,000 for the Education of Educationally Disabled Children Expendable Trust Fund, detailing reduced state funding for special education. Warrant Article 4 concerned raising $30,000 for the Building Maintenance Repair, Renovation, and Capital Project Reserve Fund, highlighting a significant roofing issue. Warrant Article 5 proposed adding $10,000 to the School Bus Expendable Trust Fund. Warrant Article 6 proposed amending the School Bus Expendable Trust Fund purpose to include maintenance in addition to purchasing. Warrant Article 7 proposed establishing a Fire and Life Safety Capital Reserve Fund with a $10,000 appropriation to plan for future upgrades like sprinkler systems. Warrant Article 8, submitted by petition, involved adopting a tax cap under RSA 32:5-b, where an amendment to set the cap at 8% passed, but a subsequent amendment to revert it to 2% failed, resulting in the 8% cap being placed on the second session ballot. Warrant Article 9, also submitted by petition, concerned delegating the determination of the default budget to the municipal budget committee, which the moderator ruled to place on the ballot as read.

The proceedings included voting items for School Board Member and School District roles (Treasurer, Clerk, Moderator). Key discussion items focused on Article 2 concerning the adoption of open enrollment provisions under NH RSA Chapter 194-D, which involves admitting a specified number of non-resident students to Nute Middle High School. Article 3 addressed the proposed Operating Budget of $12,862,856, contrasted with a default budget of $13,226,216 if the proposed budget is defeated. The summary also notes the proficiency rates for ELA (38%), Math (23%), and Science (30%) for the preceding year.

The meeting began with a reorganization, resulting in the nomination and election of a new chair. Key discussions focused on policy reviews and motions for first readings or tabling for various policies. Policies advanced to a first reading included those concerning High School graduation requirements (defining the Milton School District diploma, the new high school diploma, and the alternate diploma for students with cognitive disabilities), Education of Military Children, Weapons on School Property, Student Activities and Organizations, and Access to Public School Programs by Non-Public/Home Educated Pupils. Several policies, including those related to qualified disability delay, IAG home education instruction, JLCF Wellness, and JLD, JLE, and KVA policies, were moved to be tabled until the next subcommittee meeting. The Medical Treatment Parental Consent policy was discussed, focusing on parental consent for vision and scoliosis screenings, often facilitated by external organizations like the Lions Club. The Suicide Prevention and Response policy was discussed, noting that full staff training and a community session have already occurred, with plans for mandatory annual staff and student training sessions scheduled. A key change implemented was ensuring the Suicide Prevention line is included on all student ID badges as required by law. The policy on Public Contact on School Property and Assaults was discussed in the context of recent legislation (HB 178) clarifying the prohibition of firearms on school property while respecting New Hampshire law regarding concealed carry permit holders in non-instructional areas. The Emergency Plan Checklist was withdrawn.

The school board meeting convened, noting that the live stream was offline but the meeting was being recorded for later upload. Key discussions involved updates on academic progress, including reading, math, and science scores, showing growth across various cohorts, particularly in decreasing the percentage of students at level one. Specific strategies reviewed included targeted interventions, curriculum development, the implementation of iReady Math, and progress on the Portrait of a Graduate framework. Furthermore, the meeting covered operational updates such as closely monitoring cash flow, planning for fiscal year 2027 budget discussions, and introducing community outreach events like STEM Night and Literacy Night. Focus areas included Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), analyzing behavior data, and enhancing student and staff recognition programs. Student voice committees were also discussed, noting their recent work on creating sports theme nights and plans for a cultural night.

The facility subcommittee meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance. Key discussions focused on the approval of the October 8th facilities meeting minutes, with proposed corrections regarding electrical issues, specifically concerning the sub panel in the shop class where floor wiring heated up, leading to a power shutoff. The committee also addressed facility use policies, specifically the lack of an established policy for school building rentals and associated fees. A proposed policy, modeled after neighboring school districts, was discussed to establish clear fee schedules categorized by nonprofit, private Milton, and for-profit non-Milton usage, based on a minimum four-hour block. There was also consideration of the costs incurred when running utilities or providing staff for weekend facility usage, and the process for waiving fees. The policy was moved back to the policy committee for final approval. A brief maintenance update confirmed that the plow trucks were operational.