Bow’s school district budget up by 5.9%
Published: 03-13-2024 5:43 PM |
Taller cell towers could be on their way in Bow as residents voted in favor of a zoning amendment to more than double the allowable height.
Bow residents OK’d the new zoning on election day that will raise the permissible height to 190 feet from 90 feet.
The debate surrounding cell towers has been intense in Bow, with a lawsuit filed against the planning board’s decisions to waive local ordinances in favor of constructing taller towers.
Originally met with contention due to height restrictions, the proposed 190-foot cell tower on a 62-acre town-owned parcel on Branch Londonderry Turnpike East can now be constructed without the previous obstacles.
Bow also chose its select board and school board members on Tuesday.
Ian Flanagan and Kip McDaniel secured their seats on the select board with 944 and 904 votes, respectively. Incumbent Matthew Poulin lost his bid for re-election with 721 votes and Brock Ehlers trailed behind in fourth place with 576 votes.
Angela Hubbard secured victory for the school board seat with 726 votes.
Now that election day has passed, residents will have the opportunity to cast their votes for the school district's budget and warrant articles on Friday.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles
Unlike the town’s operating budget, which has decreased by 0.5% from the previous year, the school's operating budget is up by 5.9%.
The proposed operating budget for the school district is $35.72 million, up from the previous year’s $33.7 million. If approved, the school tax rate will increase by $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is about $303 more annually on a $300,000 home.
Residents will be asked to vote on leasing two school district-owned parcels and to fit solar panels on the roofs of Bow Elementary School and Bow Memorial School for 30 years. The solar array is part of a six-mega-watt project that includes town-owned properties. If approved by the town and school, the collective capacity of the solar project could be six-megawatt, which is nearly twice the capacity of Manchester’s municipal solar array.
Bow voters will also consider the purchase of various athletic equipment, including a scoreboard, lacrosse goals, track hurdles, and more, totaling $46,000.
The school district will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday in the Bow High School auditorium.