By E.T. Reed
8 Michela Way
Nottingham, NH 03290
(603) 679-5202
Does Nottingham Need or Want a Multi-Million Dollar School Addition?
The Nottingham School Building Committee has tallied the survey that went out with the Nottingham Community Newsletter. They have used those results to form an opinion about what the taxpayers want in terms of a building solution to fill the needs of a “growing” school population. The Architectural company has been recommended to the School Board and the School Board will spend $18,000 for plans to consider.
That all sounds reasonable. But lets look at some pesky details.
Nottingham birth rates for the past two years are down. This is contrary to previous reports depended upon to predict the School exceeding its capacity.
The option of renovating existing space in the unused area of the former school, now town offices, has been set aside as an option.
The option of less costly modular classrooms has been dismissed.
The design of the existing school allows for modest expansion, economically.Not being considered.
The “survey” questions were designed to get some answers that promoted building without addressing all the options.
About 130 people responded to the Nottingham Community Newsletter survey. There are approximately 1800 residential properties in Nottingham and approximately 3000 registered voters. By either measure, a tiny representation of the public (less than 1% of home owners) has expressed an opinion via a biased “survey”.
The Building Committee is seeded with School Board members who are predisposed to satisfy their “wants” instead of the kid’s “needs”.
The public at large has not participated in the project and evaluation of school needs. (The Building Committee has conducted its open meetings in accordance with the law, however public participation has been very, very low.)
The State of NH has suspended its School Building Aid program due to the economy and the overall budget shortfalls. (more on this below).
Demographics cited in reports were gathered in the 2000 census. That is prior to the boom and then economic bust that has happened in the interim. Current and future decisions based on outdated data is not acceptable.
The (NH) State Building Aid program is the financial crutch that has aided proponents of “big building” and big spending to garner taxpayer support. As in, “hey, the State is going to pay 30% of the costs, it’s a bargain”. Times have changed !
The Legislature’s Chairperson of the State Building Aid study committee in Concord has issued the following information:
“The Committee to Study the School Building Aid Grant Program met today to discuss an interim report it plans to issue by Dec. 15. The report will include a recommendation that the Legislature consider a temporary suspension of school building aid for new projects approved after June 30, 2010. The goal is to give the committee more time to study and recommend changes to the program. A final committee report is due by Nov. 15, 2010.”
“My committee members plan to review the eligibility criteria and recommend a redesign of the school building aid program with clear objectives and to ensure it is financially sustainable into the future,” said Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene), who serves as chairwoman of the committee.
“The Committee’s research to date has led to a preliminary sense that schools in greatest need of repair, renovation or replacement do not sufficiently benefit from the existing program while schools in communities with greater local fiscal capacity are readily accessing the funds for building more elaborate and expensive schools. The Committee recognizes the need to revise eligibility criteria to be more fair and equitable to those schools and communities with the greatest need,” a draft of the interim report reads.
( Please reread the last paragraph and think of what that means for Nottingham in regards to future State financial support !! )
The aid program has been deemed unsustainable and the State is in financial trouble for the foreseeable future. Will the State deem Nottingham as a candidate for funds, even IF the program is ever reinstated?
Taxpayers beware! The “kids” are lined up as a front (pawns) to advance a building and associated “soft costs” spending program that will put us needlessly in heavy debt for years to come. Get involved, get the facts, look at alternatives, or, decide how to pay a sizable increase in property taxes from an already stretched family budget.