SAU#75 Superintendent Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 8 (March 2026)
Thank You Grantham Community!
Dear Grantham School Community,
Thank you to the Grantham Community for your support in approving the FY 2027 school budget on March 3, 2026. All warrant articles passed. The Grantham School Board provided an excellent presentation with clear communication regarding the budget and open enrollment. I want to thank the Grantham School District leadership team for its diligence in recommending a fiscally responsible budget, while balancing high-quality educational programming for our community. I have included the full presentation below that helps to recap the annual school meeting.
I remain proud to serve the Grantham school community as this is a community that continues to put students at the center of challenging decisions and recognizes the important role our public schools play in our larger society.
The first day of Spring arrived on March 20th. This seasonal change can represent renewal, growth, and hope. I hope this new season brings this to all Grantham School Community members!
Sincerely,
Christine Downing, Superintendent
Congratulations Kathleen Buckley - Goyen Literacy Fellowship Finalist
Kathleen Buckley, GVS Reading Interventionist and Specialist, has been named a finalist for the prestigious Goyen Literacy Fellowship, a national program dedicated to advancing evidence-based literacy instruction and improving student outcomes.
The fellowship brings together educators committed to strengthening their knowledge of structured literacy practices, particularly in supporting students with reading challenges such as dyslexia.
During the 2026–27 school year, Fellows will participate in a yearlong professional learning experience that includes documenting their instructional practices through blogs and videos, engaging in monthly virtual meetings, and leading both a fellowship session and a public-facing professional learning opportunity. Fellows also receive a stipend to support their work. With 28 years of experience and deep expertise in foundational reading skills, Kathleen’s selection as a finalist reflects her ongoing dedication to improving literacy outcomes for all students.
We are extremely proud of Kathleen and her deep dedication to literacy and our GVS School Community. CONGRATULATIONS!
Cognia Reading Challenge - Thank you Mrs. Page and GVS Staff and Students!
Thank you to Mrs. Catherine Page (2nd Grade Teacher) for her efforts to involve GVS students, staff, and families in the Cognia Reading Challenge. This took place in January and February. Cognia Representative, David Smith, came out in December to kick off the program by explaining the challenge to the students, and drumming up excitement with a read aloud and a magic show. Each week, students who met their reading goal were given raffle tickets for weekly prizes and the final prize of Boston Red Sox tickets. Each week, students’ reading time was entered into a spreadsheet, and David selected reading champions based on the highest minutes of reading per grade level. The reading champions received special t-shirts. He will be returning to GVS in the spring to celebrate our reading success and to deliver raffle prizes. We are excited for this Spring event! Congratulations to all GVS students for participating!
Introducing New Grantham Leaders and Wishing Happy Retirement to Others!
The end of the 2025-2026 school year will see some familiar faces leaving our District, while some new leaders will be joining on July 1st.
Our anticipated retirements include:
Mr. Randy Britton - Randy has served the District for 12 years in various roles related to technology integration and administration. He leaves our community as the current Director of Technology.
Mrs. Leslie Brown - Leslie has been with the District for 13 years. She started as a paraprofessional and moved into the role of BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst).
Mrs. Mary Boyea -Mary became an employee in 2018. Prior to this, she was a contracted service provider. She has supported our students through her role as COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant).
Thank you to Randy, Leslie, and Mary for your service and dedication to the Grantham School Community. We wish you all the best in this next chapter!
On July 1st, we will welcome two new leaders to our team. Both Directors were approved by the Grantham School Board on March 18, 2026.
Mr. Stephen Barrie will be joining our team as the new Director of Technology. Steve comes to us with 20 years of technology experience in the Kearsarge Regional School District.
Ms. Jamie Malhoit joins Grantham School Community as our new Director of Student Services. Jamie has been an Associate Director of Student Services for the Kearsarge Regional School District for the last 12 years.
We are excited to have Jamie and Steve joining SAU 75!
2026-2027 School Calendars
GVS Drone Club - 1st Competition - March 7, 2026
Members of the GVS Drone Club participated in their first competition on March 7, 2026, at Kearsarge Regional School District. Three teams from GVS participated. Teams were comprised of 3 to 4 students. GVS Team A received a special "Innovation" award. This is the first time this award is given at a competition. The award was presented by MadgeTech, Inc. Here is a brief description of the award:
The MadgeTech Innovation Award recognizes a team that demonstrates exceptional creativity, technical problem-solving, and innovative thinking in the development and performance of their drone system. This award celebrates students who approach challenges with curiosity, develop
inventive solutions, and use technology in thoughtful and impactful ways.
Survey for Families of Children with Disabilities
Grantham School District is required by the NH Department of Education to facilitate in providing families of children with disabilities with access to a digital survey to gauge the level of parent involvement in our schools and how it contributes to improving services and outcomes for children with special education. This applies across all grades, including students in grades 7 through 12.
As part of our commitment to provide the best possible support and resources for students receiving special education services, we invite you to participate in the annual Parent Involvement survey conducted by the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED). All responses are anonymous, so you can feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and experiences openly.
Please note that this survey should be shared with preschool families, educational surrogate parents, and parents of children who attend chartered public schools or private approved special education programs, in addition to all the families of children with disabilities who attend your schools.
To access the survey, simply visit this website.
Link: https://nhdoe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3mZKbaPeAfduCMu?DstID=211&OrgName=Grantham
Each child's experience is unique, so please complete a separate survey for each child receiving special education services in your family. Your input directly influences the decisions made at district and state levels regarding special education services.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in your child's education.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the survey, please don't hesitate to contact Superintendent Christine Downing at cdowning@sau75.org
We have provided a direct link to the survey below, as well as marketing brochure provided by the NH Dept of Education. This brochure includes a QR code.
State Assessment Letter from Commissioner
I received the following request from the NH Department of Education Commissioner.
Dear School Leaders,
As the statewide assessment season begins across New Hampshire, I am writing to ask for your partnership in ensuring families receive clear and consistent information about the importance of the state assessments.
I have prepared the attached letter for parents and guardians that explains the purpose of statewide assessments, how the results are used, and how families can support their students and schools in doing their best. (see below)
Because the Department does not maintain direct contact information for families, I respectfully ask that you share the attached letter directly with parents and guardians across your district and help ensure it reaches the appropriate audiences.
Your leadership in reinforcing the value of statewide assessments is critical. Encouraging students to take these assessments seriously helps ensure we have accurate, meaningful data to support students, schools, and districts across New Hampshire.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for your efforts to support students during this important time of year. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Caitlin D. Davis | Commissioner
Commissioner’s Office
New Hampshire Department of Education
Phone: 603-271-3144
25 Hall St., Concord NH 03301
Laws/Legislation/Policies
Update on HB 1815/SB 659
In my February newsletter, I provided background on HB 1815/SB 659. These are identical bills that rewrite how the state defines its responsibility for providing an adequate education, at the same moment the Courts have ruled the current funding system is unconstitutional. A key aspect of either bill asserts that decisions on how education is funded are "political questions reserved to the Legislature and Governor;" thus removing any Judicial actions that schools or communities could pursue in the ongoing debate of the state's responsibility to fund an adequate education. After almost five hours of public testimony, with a large percentage of this testimony in opposition to these two bills, the Senate Education Policy & Administration Committee voted 3-2 in favor of moving these bills to the full House for a final vote. I have provided a link from NH School Funding Fairness Project below for more information on this story and a call for constituents to reach out to elected officials. Information presented during the Grantham School District Annual meeting indicated that if the state addressed the funding issues articulated through the Conval Supreme Court ruling, the Grantham School District would receive approximately an additional $1,257,206 in state education base adequacy aid that would result in a reduction of $1.55 per $1000 on the local education tax rate for Grantham taxpayers.
SB 101 - Open Enrollment
Public testimony on this bill began on March 25, 2026. The primary sponsor of the bill created an entirely new amendment and presented it on this date. Because of the overwhelming number of public members wanting to speak to this bill, the committee has extended testimony to occur on April 1st at 10am. I have included a link below (via Fast Democracy platform) that provides information on the bill. As of the date of this newsletter, the amendment has not been posted, but should be coming in the next few days. A significant component of the amendment to SB 101 and HB 751 (similar bill) is the removal of the local school district voting body to make a decision about providing open enrollment. These bills would make the decision for all NH communities that they must participate in the open enrollment process. Thus, the recent decision made by Grantham voters to set open enrollment for Grantham Village School at 0% receiving students and 0% sending students would be null and void.
How can you make your individual voice heard?
There is a focus on getting more people to register their voice through the online reporting system for bills. In most committees there is a focus to report "the numbers" for the record. If there are 10 individuals representing themselves who sign in on various bills, it may actually influence the outcome - and at least would record "constituent feedback" and create a record of what is either listened to, or ignored, by legislators. The links below are provided to make this task easier for your immediate engagement. Your voice matters! Numbers matter!
