SAU#75 Superintendent Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 9 (April 2026)
Spring is here and the end is near!
Dear Grantham School Community,
I hope that everyone had a restful and relaxing April break. Time is certainly flying by as we begin the remaining seven weeks of the school year. Please review this newsletter as it includes opportunities for families and community members to provide feedback on AI implementation, grants, and student services, along with other District updates.
This time in the school year is bittersweet as we celebrate our students transitioning from GVS to LMS, LMS to LHS, and our graduating seniors. Many events are planned to honor all Grantham students! I am grateful to be part of this school community and thank our school board, families, and community members for their deep commitment to our students and staff. We are a village in every sense of the word.
Sincerely,
Christine Downing, Superintendent
Grantham School Board - Student Liaison Opening
Thank you to Ollie Hermanson for serving as our Grantham student representative to the Grantham School Board. Ollie will be graduating and attending Ithaca College in the fall. Congratulations!
The school board is accepting applications for 1 to 2 student representatives to continue in this role. The student representative will provide monthly updates to the school board on different student activities, events, and honors. The Grantham School Board typically meets the 1st Tuesday of each month starting at 6:30pm in the Music Room at GVS. Please contact Superintendent Downing at cdowning@sau75.org if you have questions or are interested in applying for this student leadership opportunity. The application is attached below.
Early Learning Playgound Updates
With the weather changing and potentially warmer days, work on the early learning playground will now continue. The next phase of this work will include rubberized servicing to provide access to all students and secure fencing around the entire area.
We are extremely grateful to the Couch Family Foundation and Grantham Parent Teacher Group as we were recently awarded a private grant in the amount of $25,000 to expand the early learning playground. We are using these funds to increase overall fencing to maximize the size, enlarge the amount of rubberized surface, and potentially add another structure to the space. This is a very generous gift via two very important regional and community partners. Thank you to these organizations for their commitment to GVS.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Future Planning for Grantham School District
We are looking for parent/caregiver and community feedback!
Beginning January 2026, the Grantham School District leadership began working with an AI consultant to develop long-range plans related to AI implementation with all school stakeholders. The first phase of our work includes collecting feedback from a variety of groups. Please consider completing one of the surveys listed below. There is a survey for general community members. The other survey is specific to families and caregivers of school-age students. We have also sent surveys to our board members and GVS staff. We are also planning to survey students at a later point in time. Surveys will close on May 8, 2026. Thank you!
Caregiver Survey: https://forms.gle/QjfQAcGHTM2WTymS8
Community Survey: https://forms.gle/VVbE1NEoCr25VdiK8
Employment Opportunities for 2026-2027 School Year
Grantham School District is currently seeking to fill two (2) full-time paraprofessional positions and a speech language pathologist position for the 2026-2027 school year.
More information can be found using the link below.
If interested please submit a letter of interest, resume, transcript, three letters of recommendations, and application (available at www.gvshawks.org) to: Christine Downing, Superintendent, 300 Route 10 South, Grantham, NH 03753. Please email cdowning@sau75org and copy bmolloy@sau75.org.
SAU 75 ESEA Consolidated Title II Part A Grant Application for 26 -27
The Grantham School District will receive Title II-Part A funding via NHED. A new requirement is to post the District's application for public feedback.
Here is a link to the application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wJCj1DG7gIwIkmhEidfT9lp2Xxdi5_QY/view?usp=drive_link
The full document is also attached below as a PDF file.
Please provide feedback to Superintendent Downing via email (cdowning@sau75.org) by May 8, 2026. The feedback period will close on that date.
Thank you!
What is the Title II Part A Grant? What can it provide?
The purpose of the program is to provide grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) and subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic standards; improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders. In the Grantham School District, we use Title II Part Grant funds to provide professional learning to all staff and leaders.
Lebanon School District Event for Families
25-26 Grantham Honor Roll for our LHS Students
Congratulations to our 9th through 12th grade Grantham students who made the third quarter honor roll at Lebanon High School!
2026-2027 School Calendars
Survey for Families of Children with Disabilities - Will close on May 8th!
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
Open Enrollment Update
On April 23, 2026, SB 101 failed to pass the NH House. The bill has been "laid on the table." This means it can still return in during the current legislative session. However, the vote sent a message there is not agreement on open enrollment regardless of political affiliations, as 21 Republican members voted against the bill. HB 751, which also addresses open enrollment, was initially sent to a "committee of conference" early in the legislative session, and still remains in this status. Both bills can still be acted upon until the current session is completed. Over 100 school communities across the state of NH conducted votes on open enrollment. If you are curious about how communities voted, check out this map from Reaching Higher NH. We will continue to monitor legislative efforts around open enrollment.
Reminder - What is open enrollment?
Check out this link: https://www.reachinghighernh.org/open-enrollment
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!
