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01-19-2026

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Town of Sullivan, NH
Budget Committee
Approved Meeting Minutes, Monday, January 19, 2026
Sullivan Town Hall

Board members present: Bradford Smith, Chairman; Mike Blanchard, Aimee Fador, Nancy Frye, Gary Patnode,
BJ Wahl

Board Representatives: Dave Jakway, Selectmen, Virginia DeAngelis, Selectmen alternate, Paul Bolduc,
Selectmen Alternate, Malinda Scherpa, Sullivan School Board Representative

Departments: Sullivan School Board - Mike Brooks, Chairman; Stephanie Millotte, Member

Public: None

Staff: Kathleen Rowe, Secretary
CALL TO ORDER: Brad Smith, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM
Brad Smith introduced Nancy Frye, new member of the Budget Committee.

On a motion by BJ Wahl, seconded by Aimee Fador, the minutes of the of January 12, 2026 Budget
Committee Meeting were unanimously approved as amended.

1. BUDGET REVIEW

A. Sullivan School District
Mike Brooks presented.

Tuition: $1,893,325 (-1.47%) Tuitions are calculated using the total cost of running a school divided by the
number of students attending. Student population is projected based on the assumption that every
student will move forward the next year and K-1* grade attendance will continue at a similar rate as prior
years. Additional variables include movement of students into or out of special education status as well as
students moving into/out of the school district.

Chairman Smith: When a student is evaluated, is this done by Keene staff? Mike Brooks: The school
district has a Special Ed Director who does evaluations.

Aimee Fador: Many of the services are Medicaid qualified; is this being used? Stephanie: In prior years,
the special ed population was quite small and the cost of administering Medicaid claims was more than
would have been recovered. More recently, documents have been submitted for reimbursement from
Medicaid. Aimee suggested that transportation can also be recovered.

Vocational Programs/Other Programs IDEA: ($10/$25,000) These are appropriation placeholders
($10/$25000) in anticipation of grants which may or may not be expended, depending on receipt of
grants.


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Student Support Services: $360,010
New in 2026: Nurse: $65,000 - Nelson School provides 2 days of nurse staffing; if needed on other days,

Sullivan absorbs the cost. Sullivan budgets for 3 additional days.
Counseling, Tutoring and Summer Programs; SPED programs to maintain learning continuity from year to
year.

Other School Board: $23,110
Stipends and Legal work remained the same ( ($1500 and $10,000 respectively); bookkeeping increased
$200 (6.67% audit and insurance both increased 40% ($3,200 and $7000 respectively).

SAU Management Services: 65,725

Mike addressed the salary increases for the Superintendent, Business Manager and Special Education
Administrator. When the Superintendent and Special Education Director positions were separated from
one position into two, the single salary previously set was split into two equal parts. The result of a time
study showed clearly that neither was being correctly or fully compensated for the amount of time and
work being put into the positions. The Schoo! Board has budgeted an increase to each position to be paid
over two years, bringing these salaries to $23,000 (Superintendent) and $29,500 (Special Education
Director) for 2026 budget. The Business Manager's salary is adjusted as well, at $13,125. Malinda, Mike
and Stephanie all spoke to the increase in time and information they are able to have from the three
positions.

Business Costs: $675
No change. Office supplies, legal notices, USPS box rental

Student Transportation: $212,540
Sullivan School District has contracted with Transportation of America.

Tucker Transportation provides special ed transport. This budget is based on anticipated students; Tucker
Transportation will arrange rideshares as well, when students can be safely transported in that manner.

Warrant Article #3: $50,000 - Sullivan School Board will ask for an amount up to $50,000 from any 2025-
26 surplus to be put into the Special Education Expendable Trust. Stephanie Millotte explained the board
lawyer has recommended an increase to $500,000 be maintained in the trust. The balance as of October
2026 was $358,000.

Mike noted that the Nelson School student tuition will go down when the final bond payments for the
addition to the school (10-year bond) have been made in two years. Sullivan committed to sending
students to Nelson for ten years in order for the addition to be built to accommodate the additional
students. Aimee asked if there are specific items used when talking about “total operating cost” in setting
student tuition; Mike explained that administration, teaching staff and building costs were the factors.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

School District Budget
Chairman Smith opened the discussion, noting the warrant article and salaries as being the two items

where any changes could be made. BJ Wahl and Gary Patnode spoke to the research that Mike had
indicated was done to support the salary changes (time studies, research of current salary ranges


Page 3 of 3

Budget Committee Minutes

published by the state) and expressed their conclusions that the schoo! board had done its homework to
prepare this budget.

Ona motion by BJ Wahl, seconded by Mike Blanchard, the Budget Committee unanimously approved the
Sullivan School District Budget as presented.

Town of Sullivan Operating Budget

Chairman Smith noted that all departments have presented their budgets in the first two weeks of budget
meetings and the Selectmen have presented the few changes made to department budgets in that time
as well. After reading through the department totals once again, and there being no further discussion,
ona motion by Gary Patnode, seconded by BJ Wahl the Budget Committee unanimously approved the
Town of Sullivan Operating Budget (Selectmen’s recommended budget) as presented.

3. OTHER BUSINESS:
Budget Hearing for both the School and Town operating budgets will be held Monday, February
2 at 7:00 PM, Sullivan Town Hall.

4. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn at 7:32PM made by BJ Wahl, seconded by Nancy Frye, all aye.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathleen N. Rowe, AA
Secretary