The schools in Bow are the closest thing the town has to a community center where residents get together, see families from other parts of town, or gather for civic engagement.
Bow, a suburban town of about 8,000 residents, lacks a defined central area in town, like the villages of Contoocook in Hopkinton or Suncook in Pembroke and Allenstown.
A proposal to build a new synthetic turf field in Bow between the elementary and middle schools could begin to fill that void, said School Superintendent Dean Cascadden, who has maintained the new facility would have a meaningful impact on the town as a whole.
“I think it will be a real hub of the community,” he said. “It will be a real gem.”
Residents will have the opportunity to decide on the proposal to build the new turf field at the school district’s annual meeting Friday night, held at the high school.
The plan has sparked conversation across the school district, as some Bow parents have said they’d rather spend their tax dollars on more practical endeavors, such as roof repairs or a new phone system at the middle school. Others think the money is an investment in the overall community and its families.
If approved, the “preferred plan,” would replace the existing field, which school officials say is in need of an upgrade, add bleachers, lights, a snack shack, restrooms and an additional half-field of synthetic turf. This option amounts to a $3 million project, with $2.58 million coming from bonds and the rest coming from capital reserve funds and donations.
A basic plan, which is scheduled to be the first vote of the meeting, would not include the snack shack, restrooms or additional half field. It would cost $600,000 less and include a $2 million bond. Neither plan includes replacing the asphalt track surrounding the existing field. Each warrant article requires a 3/5 majority to pass.
In order to pay back the debt on the bond and keep the burden on taxpayers low, the school board plans to use revenue from field rentals, increase school activity fees and capital reserve funds. In the first few years after the field is built, the debt service would be nearly paid for in full, said Business Administrator Duane Ford. In the later years of the 10-year bond, the district anticipates the basic plan would cost an extra $23 a year for a taxpayer with a home worth $400,000, while the preferred plan would cost another $21 a year for a grand total of $44 more a year in taxes if both options are approved.
The up-front cost of the project was lowered through a pledge from Bow general contracting company, R.S. Audley Inc., to prepare the site for construction at no cost. In time, with grant funds to build an outdoor classroom, the district hopes to construct an outdoor pavilion in the area as well.
The school board unanimously recommended voters pass the project.
Angela Brennan, a newly elected member of the Bow Select Board stated that she doesn’t think that the bond is ideal for the town’s long-term financial health.
“It would be unwise to take on a 10-year bond on a $3 million project,” she said. “We have real community issues we need to prioritize. Although I am sensitive to the need to improve our fields, we have a lot of families who enjoy those fields, I think we can do better.”
The Bow Budget Committee echoed a similar sentiment, recommending against the field by a vote of 4-2.
Voters will also be asked to approve the district’s proposed operating budget and new contracts with teachers and support staff. The proposed budget is $31.8 million, a $518,602 increase from the current year. The proposed three-year teacher’s contract is expected to cost about $500,000 extra for each year of the agreement. A three-year agreement with support staff would cost an extra $238,000 in year one and about $70,000 for years two and three.
According to Cascadden, increases in the budget have come from updates to the school’s math program and reading programs. The district is also planning to hire a new special education coordinator.
A new phone system in the elementary school and increased benefits for bus drivers also contributed to the proposed increase.