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December 9, 2025 Unapproved Minutes

Document

UNAPPROVED DRAFT
Unapproved Draft Minutes 
Subject to review and revision, pending final approval 
at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Municipal Budget Committee 
 
Municipal Budget Committee 
Minutes of the Public Meeting 
Kearsarge Regional School District 
12/09/2025 
I.     Call to Order 
Call to order @ 6:30 by Richard Anderson 
II.   Roll Call 
Present: Richard Anderson – New London  
              Claire Ketteler – Newbury 
              Winifred Feneberg – New London  
              Debbie Reznicek– Warner (6:40) 
              James Bibbo – Bradford 
              Tom Schamberg- Wilmot 
              Rebecca Harned – Sutton (virtual- not voting) 
              Jesse Evans - Warner 
              Luke Gorman – Springfield 
              John Fortney - Superintendent 
              Michael Bessette – Assistant Superintendent 
              Larry LeBoeuf – Business Administrator 
Absent: Kristen Schultz - School Board Representative 
III.   Approval of  
        Minutes 
Luke Gorman motioned to approve the minutes of 11/18/2025 as corrected. 
Seconded by Jesse Evans. 8/0/0  motion carried  
V. Public Comment 
 
Mr. Anderson acknowledged the community members in attendance. John Ellis 
of New London, Bebe Casey of New London, and Cathy Robjent of New 
London. Also, those who joined the MBC meeting online. See public comments 
below under individual Article numbers. 
 
IV. New Business 
Deliberative Session : 
●​ Will be held at the Middle School this year due to building size and 
handicap accessibility   
●​ On January 10, 2026 (January 17th will be the inclement weather date). 
The event will be published in multiple locations.  
●​ Shuttles will be available for overflow parking at the High School. 
 
Vote on Article 2 and Article 3: 
 
●​ Supt. Fortney presented an overview of Article II of the 2026 Warrant 
Article, the collective bargaining agreement with PEAK 
 
Reading of Article 2 by Ms. Reznicek.   
Ms. Evans motioned to approve Article 2 as written. Seconded by Ms. 
Reznicek. 8/0/0  Motion carried 
 
Reading of Article 3 read by Ms. Evans. 
Mr. Bibo motioned to approve Article 3 as written. Seconded by Mr. 
Schamberg. 8/0/0 Motion carried 
 
Other Business as required:  
●​ Supt. Fortney wanted to make the MBC aware of the upcoming 
discussion at the next school board meeting about open enrollment in the 
State of NH 
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UNAPPROVED DRAFT
Unapproved Draft Minutes 
Subject to review and revision, pending final approval 
at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Municipal Budget Committee 
 
●​ He spoke about a current open enrollment school in the state and the 
effect those situations have had on the district of liability  
●​ (John Ellis)-NL asked about current enrollment? 
○​ October 1st count  1634 district  
●​ (John Ellis)-NL asked how many teachers are employed? 
○​ 210.8 FTE  
●​ (John Ellis)-NL  asked how many Principles? 
○​ Nine total, 6 lead and 3 assistants  
●​ (John Ellis) - NL asked what the principal-to-teacher ratio is. 
○​ Depends on what building   
●​ (Mag) - NL disagrees on the district Student number, stating numbers 
have decreased by up to 30%, last 20 years 
○​ October 1st count 1571 K- 12 and 1634 PK - 12 
 
Opening of Public Hearing: Called to order by Chair, Mr. Anderson 
 
This is a Public Hearing of the Municipal Budget Committee.  This hearing 
was posted on the KRSD website as well as the  Kearsarge Shopper and the 
Intertown Record. RSA 32.5 requires that the hearing is posted at least 7 days 
before the hearing.  
 
Reading of Article 1 by Ms. Ketteler 
Article 1: To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the 
Municipal Budget Committee’s recommended amount of $56,653,713 for the 
support of schools, for the payment of salaries for the school 
District Officials and Agents, and for the payment of the statutory obligations of 
the District. The School Board Recommends $56,653,713. This article does not 
include appropriations voted in other warrant articles. This warrant article asks 
the voters to raise and appropriate for the support of schools, the salaries of 
School District Officials and Agents, and for the statutory obligations of said 
District, and to authorize the application against said appropriation of such sums 
as are estimated to be received from the State sources, together with other 
Income, the School Board to certify to the Selectmen of each of the Towns of 
Bradford, New London, Newbury, Springfield, Sutton, Warner, and Wilmot, the 
amount to be raised by taxation by said towns. 
(School Board Recommends 7-0) (Municipal Budget Committee 
Recommends 7-1) 
 
 
●​ ( John Ellis) NL- What was the figure from Article 1 last year? 
○​ 54,666,697 
●​ (John Ellis)NL- Compare figures in Article 2- 26/27 vs 25/26? 
○​ 166,972 is the difference 
○​ 27/28 vs 28/29  increased figure is caused by an increase in 
health care and a reduction in wages 
○​ Mr. Fortney explained the scale in wages and the increase in 
out-of-pocket costs for individual health care 
●​ (John Ellis)NL - Describe the pain point in the budget, referring to 
minutes from the last meeting? 
○​ Mr. Fortney explained that there is an ongoing discussion with 
the Facilities Committee about the district's building priorities. 
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UNAPPROVED DRAFT
Unapproved Draft Minutes 
Subject to review and revision, pending final approval 
at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Municipal Budget Committee 
 
Plan B for any scenario would have multiple moving parts at an 
unpredictable cost. 
 
 
Reading of Article 2 by Mr. Bibbo 
Article 2: To see if the School District will vote to approve the cost item 
included in the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Kearsarge 
Regional School Board and Para Educators Association of Kearsarge (PEAK), 
which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits:  
Year Estimated Increase 
2026-2027 -  $166,972      2027-2028 -  $202,703     2028-2029  -$194,665 
And further to raise and appropriate the sum of $166,972 for the 2026-27 fiscal 
year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in 
salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be 
paid at current staffing levels. 
(School Board Recommends 6- 0) (Municipal Budget Committee 
Recommends 8-0) 
 
 
●​ Increase in wages. 
●​ 7.8% increase in Health Insurance this year, including changes to the 
health plan options with a higher deductible for employees. 
●​ Paras will be spending more on their health care contributions. 
●​ An addition of a life insurance policy option. 
●​ Total 1.20% increase in the budget, including this PEAK agreement. 
●​ If voters do not approve Article 2, the previous contract in place would 
stay 
●​ All Para positions are filled at this time 
●​ Pay scale adjustments to allow for district attraction 
●​ Para positions are the highest turnover positions by far. 
 
 
 
Reading of Article 3 by Mr. Schamberg 
Article 3: To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate up to  
$ 500,000 to be placed in the School Buildings Maintenance Expendable Trust 
Fund for the purpose of repair, unanticipated utility costs, and maintaining the 
school buildings and equipment, with such amount to be funded from unassigned 
fund Balance (surplus funds) remaining on hand as of June 30, 2026. 
(School Board Recommends 6-0) (Municipal Budget Committee 
Recommends 8-0) 
 
●​ At the last MBC meeting, Luke Gorman requested the School Board to 
consider the MBC request to increase the amount of the School Building 
Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund to $500K. The School Board 
agreed to that request. 
●​ (Mag) NL is glad Luke brought attention to the additional money, the 
first step to reverse course. 
●​ (Cathy R) - NL Can the district add a lesser amount?  
○​ That would be up to the School Board. 
 
 
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UNAPPROVED DRAFT
Unapproved Draft Minutes 
Subject to review and revision, pending final approval 
at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Municipal Budget Committee 
 
 
 
Reading of Article 4 by Mr. Feneberg 
Article 4: To see if the school district will vote to raise and appropriate up to 
$100,000 to be placed in the Capital Reserve  Roof Fund for the purpose of 
replacement or major repairs to roofs in the district, with such amounts to be 
funded from unassigned fund balance (surplus funds) remaining on hand as of 
June 30, 2026. 
(School Board Recommends 6-0) (Municipal Budget Committee 
Recommends 8-0) 
 
Reading of Article 5 by Mr. Gorman 
Article 5 To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate up to 
$200,000 to be placed in the Special Education Expendable Trust Fund, 
established in 2008 within the provisions of RSA 198:20-c for the purpose of 
emergency funding of unforeseen Special Education costs incurred by the 
District, with such amount to be funded from unassigned fund balance (surplus 
funds) remaining on hand as of June 30, 2026. 
(School Board Recommends 7-0) (Municipal Budget Committee 
Recommends 8-0) 
 
Article 6: To transact any other business that may legally come before the 
meeting. 
 
 
 
MS27 form signed by the following MBC members:   
             
              Winifred Feneberg - New London 
              Debbie Reznicek- Warner 
              James Bibbo - Bradford               
              Tom Schamberg- Wilmot 
              Jesse Evans - Warner 
              Luke Gorman – Springfield 
              Richard Anderson - New London 
 
Non Public Session:  None 
 
V.   Adjourn 
Mr. Bibbo motioned to adjourn the MBC Meeting. Seconded by Mr. 
Schamberg. 8/0/0 Motion Carried, meeting adjourned at 7:40 
 
Mr. Schamberg motioned to adjourn the MBC Public Meeting. Mr. Gorman 
seconded. 8/0 the Motion Carried, meeting adjourned at 8:10 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
 
 
Carolyn Kershaw 
MBC Clerk 
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