Henniker school deliberative session is fast but not furious

As has been the case in recent years, the annual deliberative session for the Henniker School District drew a sparse crowd and was over in less than an hour, with no changes made to the proposed warrant. Voting day is March 11.

As has been the case in recent years, the annual deliberative session for the Henniker School District drew a sparse crowd and was over in less than an hour, with no changes made to the proposed warrant. Voting day is March 11. David Brooks—Monitor staff

By DAVID BROOKS

Monitor staff

Published: 02-04-2025 11:22 AM

These might be tumultuous political times but you wouldn’t know it from the Henniker School District’s annual deliberative session.

Just as in recent years, on Monday the first part of annual meeting raced through the entire warrant in well under one hour, featuring two quick questions from the small audience, no dissent and no changes.

“That’s the most discussion we’ve had at one of these sessions in a few years,” said Moderator Cordell Johnson in a semi-joking comment at the end.

Residents on March 11 will cast votes for a proposed operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year of $10.73 million, an increase of $291,019 or 2.79% above the budget approved a year ago.

Also on the warrant will be a proposed three-year contract for the 28 paraprofessionals and 8 support staff – custodians and secretaries – in the Henniker Community School, as well as a plan to add $50,000 to a building maintenance fund.

In her presentation, Superintendent Jacqueline Coe said the bulk of the increase comes in salaries, including $60,685 more in teacher salaries under the second year of the contract approved last year, $36,648 more for emotional and behavioral support staff, and an extra $4,407 in athletic salaries. The school, which covers pre-kindergarten through Grade 8, is adding baseball and softball.

Costs for health and dental insurance are also going up by $123,478 or almost 5%.

Transportation costs are also going up, with an 11% increase this year and 5% increase in the following four years of the new contract. SAU24, which covers Henniker and Weare and the John Stark High School they share, has signed the contract with Student Transportation of America, which currently runs the school buses for the SAU. The company was the cheaper of the two bidders, Coe said.

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The proposed contract for support staff would give paraprofessionals a projected average annual pay hike of $3,057 in year one, $1,487 in year two and $1,472 in year three. That would come about largely by increasing the pay range from $16-$25 per hour to $17.50-$28 per hour.

Support staff would get an extra $1.50 an hour, on average.

If all warrants pass, the local school tax rate would increase by 64 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, raising the annual tax bill of a $400,000 house by $256.

Ballot voting takes place Tuesday, March 11, at the Henniker Community School from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.