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September 8, 2026

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 
9/8/2026 
 
I.     Call to Order 
Call to order at 6:31pm by Richard Anderson 
 
II.    Roll Call 
Present: Jim Bibbo - Bradford 
Richard Anderson - New London 
Winfried Feneberg - New London 
Jesse Evans - Warner 
Rebecca Harned - Sutton 
Claire Ketteler - Newbury (online) 
Deb Reznicek - Warner (online) 
Absent: Luke Gorman - Springfield 
Tom Schamberg - Wilmot 
  
Attendees: Superintendent - Michael Bessette 
Director of Curriculum - Andrea Castaldo 
Director of Facilities - Brett Paré 
 
 
III.  Approval of  
        Minutes 
NA 
 
IV.   Public Comment 
Mag Francis of New London asked for clarification regarding committee members' 
dual roles and related processes. 
V.   New Business  
Election of Officers 
●​ Richard Anderson was nominated for Chair by Jim Bibbo. Rebecca Harned 
seconded. Motion carried (6/0/0); Anderson abstained. 
●​ Jim Bibbo was nominated for Vice Chair by Richard Anderson. Motion was 
seconded by Winfried Feneberg and carried unanimously. 
●​ Election of additional officers was tabled until additional members are 
present. 
 
Review of MBC’s Role and Process 
●​ Ensure Long-Term Sustainability: Oversee and safeguard the school 
district's financial health. 
●​ Provide Strategic Oversight: Serve as a proactive watchdog to identify 
fiscal risks early, rather than enforcing arbitrary budget cuts. 
●​ Prioritize Essential Allocations: Balance community demands against 
financial constraints by prioritizing critical needs over wants. 
●​ Maintain Fact-Based Transparency: Ensure all decisions are data-driven 
and fully transparent to taxpayers. 
●​ Execute Collaborative Governance: Commit to a rigorous, months-long 
review and negotiation process before final approvals. 
Proposed Calendar 
●​ The committee reviewed the proposed meeting calendar. Richard Anderson 
noted that he is unavailable September 17. 
 
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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 
 
 
Impact of Legislation on Budget 
●​ The committee reviewed the potential 3-to-6-month impacts of HB 1300 
and HB 1374 on the district budget and school operations, focusing on: 
○​ Budget Restructuring: Separating the District and 
SAU/Administrative budgets into two individual warrant articles. 
○​ HB 1300 (Property Tax Cap): Analyzing the changes to the 
property-tax levy cap, the pending injunction/ruling, the impact on 
recurring contracts, and the special exception request process if the 
cap is exceeded. 
○​ HB 1374 (School Closure & Authority): Assessing the potential 
shifts in local voting authority regarding school closure petitions. 
Facilities Planning 
●​ The committee reviewed current facility needs and potential infrastructure 
projects across the district, focusing on the following: 
○​ District-Wide Needs Assessment: Evaluating critical needs at 
Simonds School and Sutton Central School, while continuing to 
refine data for the High School, Middle School, Bradford, and New 
London facilities. 
○​ Bradford Project Evaluation: Discussing a potential expansion 
project at Bradford—including additional classrooms, specialized 
instructional areas, entrance security enhancements, and expanded 
physical education space. 
○​ Long-Term Investment Strategy: Weighing the long-term 
community and operational benefits of major renovations at 
Bradford against sustained investments in other existing district 
facilities. 
Other Business as Required 
●​ School Configuration / Consolidation 
○​ The committee evaluated transitioning to a two-elementary-school 
model by closing two existing facilities. The discussion focused on: 
●​ Operational Impact: Facility capacities, class sizes, 
program space (preschool, arts, special education), and the 
future use of the Simonds and Sutton properties. 
●​ Financial Approaches: Comparing a major consolidation 
expansion at Bradford (plus moving 5th grade to the middle 
school) against a smaller investment in a single school. 
Engineering estimates for Warner are pending. 
●​ Tax Distribution: Reviewing operational savings versus 
the tax burden shift across member towns. 
●​ Long-Term Planning 
●​ The committee discussed deferred maintenance, facility 
needs, budget constraints, and the importance of making 
long-term decisions regarding district facilities. Members 
also noted the impact of legislative and tax-cap constraints 
on the district's ability to address these needs. 
 
Page 2 of 3 

UNAPPROVED DRAFT
Unapproved Draft Minutes 
Subject to review and revision, pending final approval 
at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Municipal Budget Committee 
 
Public Comment / Closing 
Mag Francis thanked the committee for the respectful discussion and encouraged 
consideration of how these issues and the financial information will be 
communicated to voters. 
 
VI. Adjourn                 Motion to adjourn by Rich Anderson. Jim Bibbo seconded motion. The meeting 
adjourned at 8:45pm 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Rachel Dupere 
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