Lynne Hartnett understood the predicament the Dunbarton school district was facing – new families moving to town meant more students will be headed to Bow middle and high schools at a steep cost.

With good schools and town services, Dunbarton is a great place to live, she said.

“Our community is very attractive,” she said. “The housing market has boomed.”

But a projected 16% increase in the school tax rate was a hefty price to pay for taxpayers. For Hartnett and her husband Paul, the $9.6 million school budget that is up $800,000 over the current year means $983 more next year in taxes for their three-bedroom, two-bath ranch on Kimball Hill Road.

“The community cannot support a $1,000 tax increase year after year,” she said. “One thousand dollars a year, on top of all the other increases we are facing, is too much.”

School officials said the majority of the budget increase is the result of the additional tuition costs for 20 new students attending the middle and high school in Bow. Tuition to send students to the middle school is $13,884 per pupil and $18,557 for the high school. State education aid is just $3,866 per student, leaving local taxpayers to foot the difference.

Hartnett wanted to know if the district is expecting 20 more students next year, or the year after, which would trigger similar increases.

Dunbarton is growing, fast. While school enrollment is down about 7% statewide, it increased by 17% in Dunbarton, voters were told.

“We’re an attractive community,” said School Board Member Jeff Trexler. “Unless we build a wall, I’m not sure how we keep them out.”

In the end, Hartnett joined the majority of other voters Saturday afternoon and voted in favor of the increased budget.

“We had no choice,” she said afterward.

Trexler walked voters through the tax calculations. He said the 16% tax increase was a worst-case scenario, which could be lowered by increases to the town’s tax base and any additional aid from the state.

“This is the best information we have right now,” he said of the projected tax rate. “We’re trying to be conservative and we hope to have less of a tax impact come October.”

The school warrant had only three articles, including presentations from school officials, the budget and adding $35,885 to a capital reserve fund. The meeting began with remarks from outgoing school Superintendent Dean Cascadden, who is retiring at the end of June and the introduction of new Superintendent Marcy Kelley.

After 16 years working in the district and solidifying the agreement to send Dunbarton students to Bow, Cascadden said he grew fond of the town and its down-to-earth people.

“It’s a community that loves its school, that loves its kids, that’s not affraid to roll up its sleeves,” he said. “I’m going to miss it.”

Cascadden received a standing ovation.

The town portion of the annual meeting will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m at the Dunbarton Community School where additional tax increases will be debated.

]]>