Question of SB2 voting back on the ballot for Merrimack Valley voters in March

The question of whether Merrimack Valley School District should drop its traditional annual meeting and switch to a ballot vote will once again be brought before voters this March.

This week, the district is holding public hearings in each of its sending towns, to discuss the potential change. The idea to have the district adopt a ballot voting method as outlined in RSA 40:13, also known as Senate Bill 2, was proposed by a citizen petitioner as a warrant article, according to Superintendent Mark MacLean. Any party of 25 citizens can petition to place an article in the warrant for an annual meeting vote, according to state law. Voters will decide via ballot vote at the school district annual meeting March 4. 

According to MacLean, Merrimack Valley school district received the same proposal from the same petitioner in both 2019 and 2020, and it was on the official ballot both times. In 2019, voters opposed the idea 315 to 147, and in 2020, voters opposed it 178 to 30. 

Public hearings will be held  in the following locations:

Webster – Feb. 8, 5:30 p.m. at Webster Elementary School

Salisbury – Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. at Salisbury Elementary School

Boscawen – Feb. 10, 5:30 p.m. at Boscawen Elementary School

Penacook – Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. at Merrimack Valley High School

Loudon – Feb. 15, 5:30 p.m. at Loudon Elementary School.