Dunbarton voters approved the school budget and all warrant articles at their annual school district meeting on Saturday, including a new teacher contract to keep salaries competitive with neighboring towns.

Nicole Sloane, a school board member, said it was the time to boost teacher pay, given the rising cost of living and how Dunbarton’s salaries stack up against other districts.

A recent comparison showed that for teachers with a bachelor’s degree, Dunbarton ranks 131st out of 163 districts in New Hampshire, said Sloane.

In Dunbarton, a teacher with a bachelor’s degree starts at $40,101, while neighboring districts offer more — Henniker at $45,749, Manchester at $45,000 and Goffstown at $42,000.

“This pay disparity highlights the challenges we face remaining competitive and attracting highly qualified teachers to our district,” she said. “We feel we are presenting an article that is fair to both our taxpayers and our dedicated staff. We recognize that exceptional educators are the foundation of a strong school.”

The $10.5 million operating budget voters approved without any debate is a 3.4% increase from last year.

This bump translates to a tax rate of $18.76 per $100,000 of assessed property value, an increase of $1.25.

School Board Chair Clement Madden pointed to rising transportation and tuition costs as the main budget drivers. Dunbarton doesn’t own its buses, instead, it contracts with a private company for transportation.

“As most people have probably heard bus drivers are harder to recruit and keep,” said Clement. “The truck center had to increase the wage for individual drivers”

Madden also noted that Dunbarton’s student enrollment has been steadily climbing since 2016, when it was 406. Today, that number has grown to 470, with projections showing continued growth.

Voters also approved additional funding for the capital reserve and special education funds, both passing without discussion.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com.