SAU#75 Superintendent Newsletter

Dear Grantham School Community,

We are quickly coming up to February Break. My picture to the right represents one winter activity that Mrs. Andrea McFee, GVS PE Teacher, has been providing to our 2nd grade students. It was great to see these young students using our playground to learn cross-country skiing!

February came quickly and is ending strong with a focus on looking ahead. Our search process for two administrator positions has started, our teams have formed and reviewed applications, and we will be conducting interviews. More about this in my March updates. The board also conducted its public budget hearing. Thank you to all who attended that event. Your feedback and input was important and valuable.

For many NH communities, March is an important month in terms of local school and town governance. This is the time when each resident has the opportunity to exercise his/her civic right to vote on school budgets and programs. The Grantham School District meeting will be held on March 3, 2026, at 6:30pm in the gym at Grantham Village School. Additional information about the warrant and budget can be found in later sections of this newsletter. I look forward to meeting Grantham residents, community members, and families at this very important event.

In closing, public schools across NH are facing unique challenges and changes. I believe in the "village" spirit. When I used AI resources to research a little deeper about the meaning behind, "It takes a village," I learned it is about collective responsibility, systemic support, and shared values. I am proud to serve the Grantham school community because I know this is a community that exudes those qualities and more when it comes to providing high quality public school programming for each Grantham student.

Sincerely,

Christine Downing, Superintendent

Ollie serves as our student representative to the Grantham School Board. Well done!

There were three nominations for Ollie.

Emma Cooke writes: Oliver exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated and well-rounded student. He consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, approaching every assignment and project with focus, care, and a high level of execution. His maturity and personal growth over time have been truly impressive—he has become not only an independent and thoughtful individual but also someone who is genuinely kind and supportive of his peers. As a stage manager for the theater department Ollie has to oversee many moving parts and many of his classmates and he does so with care and organization as well as clear enjoyment for what he is doing. Ollie is a natural leader, actively involved in our school community as a committed member of the ski team, a former student council representative, and a future co-leader of the WPP board. His ability to balance academic excellence with leadership and compassion makes him an exceptional role model and a deserving recipient of this recognition.

Shannon Aridgides writes: Ollie is a leader in Superlatives. He shows up every day with a great attitude and excitement to learn. He helps others in the group and is always up for trying something new/singing alone. He is a joy to have in class. Where this student stands out even more is his role with the Wet Paint Players. As stage manager, this student has kept us on track and ahead of the game. I would be drowning in all of this new information if it weren't for his help and attentiveness! He is determined, resourceful, beyond organized, and strives for excellence. More important than all of that, he is incredibly empathetic and an amazing team player. He continues his love for tech outside of school, working with LOH. It has been such a joy to work with this student and I'm excited for a great year with him. Selfishly, I hope the year goes by slowly as he is a senior.

Marguerite Ames writes: Even though Ollie Hermanson has never been my student, I feel compelled to nominate him for student of the month. He exemplifies student leadership, responsibility, enterprise, and engagement. Over the past four years I have had the good fortune to work with him on soon to be eight Wet Paint Players productions. As Stage Manager, not only does Ollie lead by example, modeling a strong work ethic and close attention to detail, but he also welcomes and mentors new team members. Indeed, Ollie works tirelessly to make sure all the moving pieces of a production

All information regarding the upcoming school district warrant and budget can be found using the links below. If you have questions, please contact Superintendent Christine Downing via cdowning@sau75.org or 603.863.3786

The School District Annual Meeting will be held on March 3, 2026, starting at 6:30pm in the Gym at Grantham Village School.

In New Hampshire, the "Traditional" school meeting is a hallmark of local democracy. Unlike a typical election where you cast a ballot and head home, our district follows the Traditional Meeting format. This means voters who attend the meeting have the power to discuss, amend, and ultimately vote on the school budget and warrant articles right then and there. There is no separate voting day for the budget. The vote happens live at the meeting.

What to Expect at the School District Meeting

If you are new to New Hampshire or our district, the Annual Meeting might feel a bit different. Here is a quick primer on how our traditional meeting is conducted:

• Who Can Vote? Any registered voter living within the school district is eligible to participate.

• The Check-In Process: When you arrive, you will check in with the Supervisors of the Checklist. They will verify your residency and provide you with the materials needed for the meeting, such as yes/no tickets used for secret ballot voting.

• The Moderator: An elected official who presides over the meeting, ensuring we follow parliamentary procedure (usually Robert’s Rules of Order). **See below for Moderator Rules.

• The Warrant: This is our "agenda." Each "Article" on the warrant represents a specific request, such as the operating budget or a contribution to a capital reserve fund.

• Discussion & Amendments: For each article, the floor is opened for public comment before any final votes are taken.

• The Vote: Once discussion ends, a vote is taken—usually by a voice vote or yes/no tickets—and the results are final.

Your Presence IS Your Vote!

As our Annual Meeting approaches, please remember: In a traditional district, the meeting is the final vote on the school district budget and warrant articles. There are no "absentee ballots" for the budget or warrant articles because the final versions of those articles aren't set until the discussion at the meeting is over. If you aren't in the room, you aren't part of the vote. Join us to ensure our school reflects the values and priorities of our entire community.

Demystifying the "School Warrant"

As we approach our March Annual Meeting, the School District Warrant will be posted around town and available online. Think of the Warrant as our official meeting agenda.

• What is a Warrant Article? Each "Article" is a specific proposal for the voters to consider. This includes everything from the main operating budget to requests for building repairs or contributions to reserve funds.

• How the Budget is Passed: During the meeting, each article is read aloud. Residents have the opportunity to ask questions, debate the merits, and even propose amendments. Once the discussion is closed, a vote is taken right then and there. If the majority votes "Yes," the budget or article passes and becomes the plan for the upcoming school year.

Moderator Approved Rules 2026
Grantham School District Meeting

• No article may be brought up for reconsideration unless it is brought up immediately after the vote has been determined and announced.
• Passing over an article is not in the spirit of the meeting and will be ruled out of order.
• Registered voters will be seated on the main floor and in the center of the bleachers. Non-voters will be seated in the side sections of the bleachers. Non-voters who are not officers of the school district may be allowed to address the meeting only if the meeting votes to permit it.
• Whenever a voter wishes to speak, he or she will address the moderator and identify herself or himself along with their street address.
• The moderator will conduct a secret “yes-no” ballot when seven or more voters question any non-ballot vote immediately, after the vote is declared, and before any business is conducted. (RSA 40:40b)
• All proposed amendments to articles will be submitted in writing to the moderator prior to the vote of the amendment.

Public Notice: Keeping Our Air Clean at Grantham Village School

To protect the health of our students and remain in compliance with New Hampshire state law, we are reminding all parents, staff, bus drivers, and visitors of the regulations regarding vehicle idling on school grounds.

New Hampshire law (RSA 200:48) requires school districts to implement policies that minimize or eliminate vehicle idling on school grounds to protect air quality.

GVS is a NO Idling campus. At GVS your child's safety is one of our top priorities. We know it's cold out there, but please be respectful of the signage regarding NO idling while in the car line for pick-up and drop-off. Just as a friendly reminder, the car line begins dismissing at 3:10 p.m.

Why Is This Important?

• Child Health: Children’s lungs are still developing. They breathe more rapidly than adults, making them more susceptible to the asthma triggers and respiratory issues caused by exhaust.

• Environmental Impact: Eliminating unnecessary idling reduces the concentration of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides on our campus.

• Efficiency: For most modern engines, idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and causes more engine wear than restarting the vehicle.

Keeping an eye on HB 1815

At first glance, HB 1815 looks technical. It does not raise or lower funding levels. It does not propose a new tax. But it does something more foundational: it rewrites how the state defines its responsibility for providing an adequate education, at the same moment the Courts have ruled the current system unconstitutional.

Rather than responding to the funding gap identified in the ConVal decision, HB 1815 (and the identical SB 659) revise the statutory framework itself.

Specifically, these bills would:

• Redefine public education as an “integrated system of shared responsibility” between the state and local governments
• Remove long-standing language tying adequacy to minimum school approval standards
• Eliminate statutory language guaranteeing students the opportunity for an adequate education
• Change cost language so state aid is only “computed toward” the cost of adequacy, rather than constituting that cost
• Assert that decisions about how education is funded are political questions reserved to the Legislature and Governor

None of these changes reduce the real-world obligations schools must meet. Standards still apply. Students still need services. Transportation, staffing, and instructional needs do not disappear.

When the legal definition of adequacy is narrowed or blurred while obligations remain, the pressure does not go away. It shifts, most often onto local property taxpayers, increasing inequities between communities with very different tax bases. These bills are moving quickly, alongside other major education proposals, with limited time for public understanding or debate. Structural changes like these rarely make headlines when they pass, but their effects are felt later, in local budgets and tax bills.

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!

• House Remote Sign In / Submit / View Testimony Directions (PDF)

• House Sign-in Form and Online Testimony Submission

• View House Online Testimony Submissions

• Senate Remote Sign In Directions (PDF)

• Senate Remote Sign In