Jen Daniels

The agenda for the meeting included call to order, pledge of allegiance, agenda adjustments, and discussion of nominations, resignations, and retirements. Key discussion topics involved administrative reports from the Vice Principal and Curriculum Director, discussion on Space Solutions, reports from High School Student Representatives, and review of bills and manifests, including liability, revenue, and expense reports for the period ending February 26, 2026. Deliberations included potential action on updates to several School Board Policies and policies required by law, those requiring annual review, those adopted that needed posting, and policy on negotiations and a checklist for deliberative sessions. The agenda also allocated time for correspondence, review of the draft minutes from the February 18, 2026, meeting, agenda building for March 18, 2026, and a non-public session.

The session addressed warrant articles for the upcoming election and budget decisions. Article 1 listed candidates for School Board, Moderator, and Treasurer positions, with elections scheduled for March 10, 2026. Article 2 concerned the operating budget of $17,849,950, with presentations detailing budget drivers such as rising special education costs and health insurance renewals, alongside explanations of tax impact calculations. Article 3 addressed the cost items for the collective bargaining agreement with the Nottingham Teachers' Association, showing estimated multi-year increases in salary and benefits, with board highlights noting an increase in the fee for contract releases and salary schedule adjustments. Article 4 authorized the School Board to call a special meeting if Article 3 failed. Subsequent articles involved approving a ten-year tuition agreement with Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (Article 5), transfers to the Textbook Capital Reserve Fund (Article 6), establishing a School Expansion Reserve Fund to address space constraints (Article 7), replenishing the Tuition Capital Reserve Fund (Article 8), and funding the Grounds Improvement Capital Reserve Fund (Article 9). Article 10 involved a petition to adopt a local school district tax cap (RSA 32:5-b). This article underwent two amendments: first, changing the required majority vote to 3/5ths, and second, replacing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) with the Municipal Price Index (MPI) for the inflation adjustment calculation.

The meeting addressed several personnel matters, including accepting the retirement of one employee and noting the resignation of another, as well as the withdrawal of a previously submitted retirement notice. A significant portion of the discussion focused on preparations for the upcoming deliberative session, covering warrant items, timelines, and logistics. Public comment centered on concerns regarding the potential conversion of art room and library space into classrooms due to capacity issues, highlighting the importance of these enrichment areas. The Board reviewed pending bills and manifests, discussed proposed and default budgets for FY26-27, and voted to remove warrant article 11 related to interdistrict open enrollment due to capacity constraints, ultimately accepting warrant articles 1-10. Further discussion was held on a draft space advisory survey intended to gather community feedback on space needs, and the need for a workshop to finalize presentation specifics for the deliberative session. Enrollment reports were reviewed, and committee updates were provided.

Key discussion topics for the meeting included administrative reports, review of bills and manifests totaling $258,975.85 for AP Batch 1390-1393, discussion regarding the Nottingham Draft FY27 Budget, the Coe-Brown NA Tuition Contract, and Warrant Article Discussion concerning the first phase/windows. Deliberations were scheduled to address policies for review. Committee reports were planned from various groups including Communication, Technology, Health and Wellness, Finance Audit, and Contract Negotiations (Transportation, Teacher, and Coe Brown). The agenda concluded with planning for the next meeting.

The meeting included agenda adjustments to move student high school representative reports to a later date. A motion was passed to accept the nomination of a new second shift custodian. Discussions focused on preparing for the upcoming election, including work on the ballot and developing a draft for an election mailer. The Board also discussed reviewing Tyler reporting structures for developing efficient reporting systems. Correspondence included an email requesting clearer posting of school spending graphs, information on statewide open enrollment legislation, and a request from the Nottingham Teachers' Association, which led to a discussion about monthly teacher representative reports. Future agenda items for the next meeting were set, and the Board discussed the annual report.