The School District Deliberative Session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. in the Pittsfield Elementary School gymnasisum (snow date of February 6 at 7:00 p.m.). An overview of each warrant article is listed below. Voting day is March 10 at the Town Hall.
Article 1: School Lunch Program. To see if the Pittsfield School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $330,000 for the support of the School Lunch Program. This appropriation will be funded by a like amount of revenue from the sales of food and state and federal sources. (Estimated tax impact of this article: $0.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (12 yes, 0 no). (Majority vote required)
- YES vote supports allowing the district to operate the food service program for students and staff at no cost to the district, including service to students who qualify for free or reduced price meals.
- NO vote supports restricting the district from operating the food service program altogether.
Article 2: Receive and Expend Grant Funds. To see if the Pittsfield School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $850,000 for the support of Federal and private foundation grant-funded educational programs of the Pittsfield School District. This appropriation is contingent upon receiving revenue from Federal grants and private foundations and will be expended in accordance with Federal and State requirements upon approval by the New Hampshire Department of Education or private foundation requirements. (Estimated tax impact of this article: $0.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (12 yes, 0 no). (Majority vote required.)
- YES vote supports allowing the district to receive grant funds; these funds are primarily federal funds intended to support students in need of special education services, Title I services to struggling students, and Title II services to support professional development of educators in the district.
- NO vote supports restricting the district from receiving and expending grant funds altogether.
Article 3: Operating Budget. Shall the Pittsfield School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $10,731,265? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $10,231,764, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Pittsfield School District or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. (Estimated tax impact of this article: -$1.90/thousand; estimated tax impact of the default budget: -$3.79.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (12 yes, 0 no). (Majority vote required.)
- YES vote supports the proposed budget for district expenses; the proposed budget is essentially a maintenance budget with additions for one foreign language teacher, one-half salary and benefits for a district social worker, and salary increases for support staff.
- NO vote requires the district to operate with the default budget; the default budget is $499,501 less than the proposed budget; the default budget would cause the proposed budget to be reduced by $499,501; this would likely result in the reduction in services and staff; potential impact could possibly include reduction in the teaching staff, increased class sizes, and reduction of funds for student activities, athletics, and field trips.
Article 4: Special Education Capital Reserve Fund. To see if the school district will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000 to be added to the Special Education Capital Reserve Fund previously established in March 1996 to fund special education programs for identified students of the district under the provisions of RSA 35:1. This sum to come from June 30 fund balance available for transfer on July 1. No amount to be raised from taxation. (Current account balance, approximately $226,800.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (12 yes, 0 no). (Majority vote required.)
- YES vote supports the allocation of $50,000 from a fund balance remaining at the end of the current fiscal year at the end of June; such a fund balance would be accessible in the event of unanticipated costs that may arise in the education of students with special needs.
- NO vote restricts the district from putting aside additional funds for potential future costs of special education services and retains the $50,000 in the potential fund balance at the end of the fiscal year.
Article 5: Buildings Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund. To see if the school district will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $100,000 to be added to the Capital Reserve Fund previously established to maintain the school buildings of the district under the provisions of 35:1. This sum to come from June 30 fund balance available for transfer on July 1. No amount to be raised from taxation. (Current account balance, approximately $200,000).
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Not recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (2 yes, 10 no). (Majority vote required.)
- YES vote supports the allocation of $100,000 from a fund balance remaining at the end of the current fiscal year at the end of June; such a fund balance would increase the district’s reserve fund that could support high-cost buildings maintenance projects, such as boiler replacement, window replacement, etc.
- NO vote restricts the district from putting aside additional funds for future capital projects within the district and retains the $100,000 in the potential fund balance at the end of the fiscal year.
Article 6: Technology Capital Reserve Fund. To see if the Pittsfield School District will vote to establish a Technology Capital Reserve Fund under the provisions of RSA 35:1 for the purchase of computers, other technology equipment, and technology materials for use by students and teachers in the district and to raise an appropriate the sum of $50,000 to be placed in this fund. Further, to name the Pittsfield School Board as agents to expend from said fund. (Estimated tax impact of this article: $.19/thousand.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Not recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (5 yes, 7 no). (Majority vote required.)
- YES vote supports the establishment of a capital reserve fund and appropriates $50,000 to be placed in the fund to support future technology purchases in the district.
- NO vote restricts the district from setting aside funds for this purpose.
Article 7: Dumpster Capital Reserve Fund. To see if the Pittsfield School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,000 to be added to the Dumpster Replacement Capital Reserve Fund previously established to fund replacement of dumpsters at the schools of the district. (Estimated tax impact of this article: $0.02/thousand.) (Current account balance, approximately $3000.)
Recommended by the Pittsfield School Board. Recommended by the Pittsfield Budget Committee (12 yes, 0 no). (Majority vote required)
- YES vote supports the setting aside of funds for dumpster replacement; replacement will be required in approximately four years; B.C.E.P. will no longer provide dumpsters at no expense to the district.
- NO vote restricts the district from setting aside funds for the eventual replacement of two dumpsters.
Article 8: School Warrant Tuition Request (by petition): Are you in favor of instructing the Pittsfield School Board, to in good faith, investigate and pursue viable options for tuitioning all students grades 9 through 12 to another high school(s) and to cease educating all high school students in Pittsfield?
- YES vote advises the School Board to again investigate options for sending Pittsfield’s high school students to a school out of town and to end the high school program in Pittsfield; this warrant article is non-binding.
- NO vote provides no such advisory to the Board.