The Concord School Board unanimously passed a $87.7 million budget Monday night, after a spirited conversation about creating more transparency in its process for approving contacts.
The budget, an around 1.8% increase from last year, was significantly pared down from an earlier version proposed last month that included more 20 new positions such as a new guidance counselor for the high school, an assistant principal for Rundlett Middle School and a full-time at-home family visitor who would work with students before they reach school-age.
Wary of the economic impacts of COVID-19, the district staff was asked to make drastic cuts in recent weeks, more than $1 million, to help ease the burden on the taxpayer.
Board member Barb Higgins said she thought the budget passed respected the needs of the community as it deals with the crisis brought on by COVID-19.
“I just think that right now, with so many people out of work and our tax base likely suffering, that the most important thing we can do as a school board is to acknowledge all members of our school community, which are not just the teachers and the students, but the people that pay for this as well,” Higgins said.
Board member Gina Cannon agreed.
“My concern is, How many people are out of work right now? We don’t know when or if those people are going to have jobs when this is over,” Cannon said.
The budget was passed with several new positions still intact, one being the new school compliance officer – with an estimated cost of $137,462 including benefits – to help implement the recommendations of an independent investigator that reviewed how the district was responding to reports of sexual misconduct last year.
Additionally, district officials spared two proposed social worker positions in the budget, an additional district nurse position, and three new special education teachers.
The board also voted to approve a proposal to increase the hours for a teacher who works with deaf and hearing-impaired students after receiving feedback from families who receive those services.
The budget was passed unanimously, 8 to 0, with one board member, Danielle Smith, absent. However, two board members did express concern over some of the positions that were cut due to the virus.
Board member Chuck Crush advocated for the funding of positions like an additional full-time social worker and psychologist to be split between Abbot-Downing and Christa McAuliffe Elementary schools.
“We just came off a horrific experience….We came off a year that was unprecedented. The number one thing that screamed at me throughout that process is that we need to make sure we have an infrastructure in place to support our students,” he said, referring to the arrest of a teacher in the district last year for sexual assault. “I understand that right now that we are reeling from COVID-19. With that said, I think we need to remember COVID-19 is going to also have an emotional and psychological impact on our students.”
Board member Liza Poinier agreed, saying she thinks having more resources for students’ social-emotional needs would help the transition back to school after COVID-19, whether that be later this academic year, or in the fall.
The rest of the meeting was fairly streamlined. Toward the end of the meeting, the board was asked to approve contracts for school staff for the following year. The board approved a number of teacher contacts without conversation until it came to the central office staff.
Patterson read through the list of administrators in the central office, which included Assistant Superintendent Donna Palley, Business Administrator Jack Dunn, Human Resources Director Larry Prince, Director of Student Services Bob Belmont, and a number of others.
Board member Tom Croteau proposed a motion to approve the contracts, thanking the central office staff for their work in the last year. Five members voted to approve the contracts during a voice vote, with board members Higgins and David Parker voting against approving the contracts. Cannon, who was having trouble accessing the documents on her computer, abstained.
Then Higgins spoke.
“I’m sitting here very uncomfortable that we lump approve a wide variety of administrators all together, when there could be very specific reasons why some are maybe a no-brainer to be approved, and others, maybe, there are some questions. Perhaps in the future, we can look at the approval of central office staff in a different manner,” Higgins said.
“I think it’s just the sort of blanket acceptance that makes me feel like I’m not being honest with myself and doing what I think is best,” she added.
Board member Jim Richards agreed.
“I think it’s a good proposal for transparency,” Richards said.
Interim Superintendent Frank Bass said that in many districts he’s work with in the past, school boards would complete confidential evaluations of each member of the central office staff individually before voting on contracts.
“There would be opportunities for discussion about the pros and cons of that particular individual,” he said. “That way, the board has more of an understanding of what that individual has done, where they’re going, and whether that’s something they feel they want to continue with. The same would hold true for the building principals, too.”
David Parker said he was elected to the Concord School Board because “there was some concern about some of the administrator’s decision making.” He advocated for a more thorough opportunity to review the administrators in the future.
“I have a lot of respect for everyone on that list, but I do not, as an elected board member, feel that I can support this decision because it lumps them all together,” he said. “Especially given the fact that the report is now in the hands of the Attorney General, that we may be looking at some new administrative positions.”
“We have no evaluation process to look at their performance. This is really difficult, and I think a real problem for us,” he added.
School Board President Jennifer Patterson said the board brought up a good suggestion. She said officials would look into completing evaluations of the administrative team next year.
“Clearly, this is illustrating another way which we need to look at our practices and figure out a better way to do it going forward,” Patterson said.