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Sullivan_School_Board_August_12_2026

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Sullivan School Board  
Public Meeting Minutes 
August 12th, 2026 
 
Present: Board Members: Mike Brooks, Stephanie Milotte, Malinda Scherpa, Barb Arguin 
 District Superintendent: Kim Caron 
 District Student Services Director: Juliet Fenrich  
 Absent: Colleen Mathews, District Treasurer: Brad Smith 
 Public: None 
 
1. Call to Order: Mike Brooks called the meeting to order 6:31PM. 
 
2. Secretary’s Report –  
Public MINUTES APPROVAL FOR July 8th, 2026 
Motion: Stephanie motioned to approve the public minutes from July 8th, 2026, Board's meeting. 
Seconded by: Barbara 
 
Discussion: None 
Voice Vote: Unanimous 
Motion so passes and the July 8th, 2026 Public Minutes are approved. 
 
Non-Public MINUTES APPROVAL FOR July 8th, 2026 
Motion: Stephanie motioned to approve the non-public minutes from July 8th, 2026, Board's meeting. 
Second by: Barbara 
 
Discussion: None 
Voice Vote: Unanimous 
Motion so passes and the July 8th, 2026, Non-Public Minutes are approved. 
 
3. Treasurer's Report – In the absence of Brad Smith, Kim Caron reviewed the manifest with the 
board. 
a. Manifest. The treasurer’s review of the August 2026 manifest. Detail provided by the 
superintendent. 
The starting bank balance is $392,895.81 
Total Deposits: $147,316.06 
▪ 
Town of Sullivan       $127,342.92 (Deposited 8/4/26 Monthly Payment) 
▪ 
State of NH                $4,538.46 (Deposited 7/9/26 project reimbursement/grant) 
▪ 
State of NH                $2,308.24 (Deposited 7/9/26 project reimbursement/grant) 
▪ 
State of NH                $1,344.38 (Deposited 7/9/26 project reimbursement/grant) 
▪ 
State of NH                $11,154.28 (Deposited 8/6/26 project reimbursement/grant) 
▪ 
Mascoma Checking Acct    $627.78 (Interest earned 8/2/26) 
Payments: 
▪ 
Mount Prospect Academy  
 
$30,959.73 (April May June 2026) 
▪ 
MSB School Services                                     $737.19 (NH Medicaid Billing Services) 
▪ 
Perfect Balance 
 
 
             $250.00 (July 2026 Bookkeeping) 
▪ 
Primex                                                            $1,310.00 (WC & Prof Liability Ins) 
▪ 
Simplified Speech Solutions                          $900.00 (July 2026) 
▪ 
Tucker Transportation                                    $3,857.50 (July 2026) 
▪ 
Wadleigh, Starr & Peters 
 
 
$427.00 (July 2026 Legal work) 
 
TOTAL PAYMENTS: $34,583.92 
Ending Bank Balance $505,627.95 
 

 
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Brad and Kim reviewed the manifest, and both recommend the approval of the current manifest. 
*Apply Mt. Prospect payment to the 2025/2026 budget as these were services budgeted and occurred 
in the 2025/2026 school year. 
 
Motion: Stephanie motioned to approve the amended manifest of 7/9/26-8/12/26 
Seconded by Barbara 
Discussion: none 
Voice Vote: Unanimous  
Motion so passes and the July/August Manifest is approved and so accepted 
 
**School Tuition Expendable Trust: $361,926.27K as of December 2025 meeting. 
Kim/Mike are going to follow up for an updated amount. 
 
b. Budget Status Report. The superintendent’s review of the latest budget status report. 
Starting off the new fiscal year utilizing the budget status report from previous years. 
Adjusting the budget by reviewing the budget status report will help to not miss gaps due to 
the budget development process. 
Superintendent suggested moving the line item for the budget of the District bookkeeper 
services to SAU services vs. board services. 
 
c. Other – None 
 
4. Public Comment – None 
 
5. Old Business –  
a. SAU Services. Discussion. The school board is following up on the possibility of Sullivan 
obtaining SAU services through an arrangement with SAU29.  
Mike reached out to SAU29 with a follow-up, but no response yet received from the SAU29 
district offices. 
 
Takeaways –  
❖ Potentially ask the school board attorney to lay out different options that are available 
to us depending on thoughts for next steps. 
❖ Approach the SAU29 Superintendent with options to see if any are even a possibility 
for future business opportunities. 
❖ More to follow 
 
6. New Business –  
a. Open Enrollment Statute RSA 194-D. 
- As summarized by the school board attorney, the open enrollment statute “allows 
districts to designate their schools as open enrollment schools, through a vote of the 
legislative body at an annual meeting. RSA 194-D:3.  Sullivan does not own or 
operate any schools, and therefore, does not have any schools to designate as “open 
enrollment.” However, under RSA 194-D, Sullivan resident students may be eligible 
to attend any school district in NH that has adopted open enrollment, and Sullivan 
would be required to pay tuition to the open enrollment district. Moreover, Sullivan 
has exclusive tuition agreements with Nelson and Keene, meaning Sullivan resident 
students are required to attend Nelson and Keene schools (unless the student requires 
an out of district placement or elects a private or homeschool program). Therefore, a 
concern has been raised regarding potential resident “open enrollment” students also 
being billed for tuition at Nelson or Keene under our exclusive tuition agreements. In 
effect, Sullivan could potentially be required to pay tuition for “open enrollment” 

 
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students twice, once to the open enrollment district and once to Nelson or Keene in a 
given year under the tuition agreements. This open enrollment scenario could present 
a significant financial burden to the district. 
The school board attorney explained that “Sullivan could elect to put forth a warrant 
article limiting the number of students who are eligible to attend open enrollment 
schools in other districts. This limitation is a required part of the warrant article if a 
district is voting to create an open enrollment program, and Districts that do not 
operate their own school should therefore be permitted to impose the same limitations 
on their resident students. RSA 194-D:3. This type of warrant article can come with 
risks, as the percentage of students can be amended by the voters. The statute requires 
a percentage from 0-100 of the current pupil enrollments, so the voters could increase 
that number up to 100% of the students. The warrant article would read along the 
lines of the following: Shall the Sullivan School District vote to limit the number of 
students eligible to attend open enrollment programs in other districts to zero percent 
(0%) of the Sullivan School District’s current pupil enrollment, such that Sullivan 
School District students shall not be permitted to attend open enrollment schools in 
other districts. If a limitation passes, then students in Sullivan would not be permitted 
to attend open enrollment schools in other districts, under the current version of the 
law.”  
The school board attorney advised that this update is “based on the current status of 
the law, and there are likely to be open enrollment bills that move through the 
legislature during the 2027 legislative session, so it is possible that the landscape will 
change next year. In addition, I have not reviewed the AREA agreement so I cannot 
opine on the potential impact of the AREA Agreement (and cannot do such at this 
juncture, since we also represent the Districts within SAU 29).”  
The superintendent has the following operational and financial considerations 
regarding this open enrollment scenario:  
- As a sending district, Sullivan would be required to pay tuition to the receiving open 
enrollment school for a resident pupil if Sullivan has not formally adopted an open 
enrollment program.  
- Sullivan could potentially be required to pay tuition for “open enrollment” students 
twice, once to the open enrollment district and once to Nelson or Keene in a given 
year under the tuition agreements. - Sullivan may lose state adequacy funds since that 
aid follows the student and diverted to the receiving open enrollment school, similar 
to the charter school situation.  
- Increased administrative responsibilities to monitor enrollments and special 
education/student services. 
The superintendent is concerned that this open enrollment scenario could present a 
significant financial burden to the school district. Pending further action during the 
2027 legislative session, the superintendent recommends a warrant limiting the 
percentage of resident students eligible to attend open enrollment programs to 0%. 
 
b. HB 1300: An Act establishing a school district local tax cap question for the state 
general elections of 2026 and 2028 and related limitations on central office 
administrative expenses in school districts. 
A summary of the law follows.  
HB 1300 is a recently enacted state law that forces a school district local tax 
cap question onto the general election ballots in November 2026 and 

 
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November 2028. Signed into law on July 15, 2026, the mandate bypasses the 
traditional annual town meeting process, requiring every town and city ward 
across the state to vote on the measure. This is a voter referendum on school 
district tax caps during major state elections. The legislation requires a 3/5 
majority vote to implement a two-year cap on property tax growth while 
capping central office administrative spending at 6% of the budget.  
The school district local tax cap and school administrative unit fixed cap question on 
the ballot for towns and wards with an annual school district meeting shall read: 
“Shall the [name of municipality] limit property tax growth for [name(s) of school 
district(s)] under RSA 32:5-i? If adopted for a two-year period: (1) the local  property 
tax levy may not grow beyond the prior year’s amount, adjusted for inflation and new 
construction;  (2) SAU central office spending may not exceed 6 percent of total 
school district appropriations; and (3)  bonded capital costs are excluded from both 
limits. These caps apply only to administrative operations of the SAU central office 
and do not affect classroom instruction, school-based services, or other municipal 
expenditures. These limits may be overridden as provided in RSA 32:5-i. Adoption 
requires a three-fifths (3/5) majority vote.” 
 Please note. The school board attorney stated that the statute is worded that “suggests 
that the tax levy might be adopted while the SAU cap is not, however, the article that 
must be printed on the ballot references both the SAU cap and the tax levy. Thus, one 
will not pass without the other.” 
If approved at the November 2026 state general election, the school district local tax 
cap or the school administrative unit fixed cap, or both, shall apply beginning with the 
fiscal year 2028 school district total budget or school administrative unit budget, as 
applicable.  
**Refer to Attachment 1 Provided to the School Board prior to the meeting to review: 
What This Means: HB 1300 from Reaching Higher NH www.reachinghigher.org 
provides an overview of the legislation. The school board is permitted, but not 
required, to hold a public hearing on the adoption of the cap, prior to the November 
general election, and it may wish to do such to ensure that voters are aware of the 
potential impacts if the cap is adopted. 
The superintendent is concerned about the impact of this legislation on our sending 
district where the majority of the budget is student tuition, mandated special education 
costs, and contractual agreements.  
  
 
c. Special Education Update. Non-Public. Provided by the student services director. 
d. Superintendent Evaluation. Non-Public.  
The superintendent’s evaluation document for 2025-26 (Document provide as part of the 
Superintendent report) attached for school board review, discussion, and completion in 
non-public session. 
e. Review District Goals. Discussion. Covered in Non-public 
Policy AD: School Philosophy states the mission of the district. Attached for your review. 
The evaluation of the superintendent from the previous year stated that he should continue 
the policy work. In addition to remaining policy work, the school board may consider 
additional goals such as special education preschool work, SAU services, and district 
bookkeeping services.    
f. Other- None 
 

 
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7. Superintendent’s Report. Since the July school board meeting – 
Parking Lot. The superintendent is working on the following items. To be presented at a future school 
board meeting. 
 
District Bookkeeper and Financial Records. The superintendent is discussing web-based 
QuickBooks with the district bookkeeper to provide access to financial data by district users. More to 
follow.   
Computer Systems, Electronic Communications, Information Management. A summary was 
provided in the June 2026 superintendent’s report. The school board is considering the establishment 
of a computer-based information system to support electronic communication, information 
management, and operational activities of the school board. Issues include the storage and security of 
district information and statutory requirements.  The migration to a dedicated electronic platform for 
district operations, the development of related policies and procedures, and financial factors require 
careful consideration. This is especially important due of our unique status as a small sending district, 
part-time SAU services, and current electronic communication and remote practices. The school 
board needs to address policy development, the development of an electronic filing system, consider 
the use of district-owned computers v personal computers to conduct business, and address the 
requirement for an information security officer.  
Preschool. A summary was provided in the June 2026 superintendent’s report. Preschool special 
education presents challenges for the district not found in our k-12 agreements with the Nelson and 
Keene School Districts. Our k-12 tuition agreements include access to the school personnel needed 
for special education referral, evaluation, and placement. However, there is no such provision in our 
contracts for federally mandated preschool services. In addition, our small size, small number of 
preschool referrals, and the unpredictable nature of those referrals make planning for the necessary 
resources problematic. More to follow. 
SAU Services. A summary was provided in the June 2026 superintendent’s report. The 
superintendent had a June 2026 conversation with SAU29 Superintendent Malay, who raised the 
possibility of Sullivan obtaining SAU services through an arrangement with SAU29. Initial research 
suggests several options, including dissolving SAU96 to join SAU29, entering into an intermunicipal 
agreement, or establishing a joint maintenance agreement to purchase SAU services. The school 
board may consider consulting the district’s attorney about the process and formally approving a 
motion to explore an agreement with SAU29. 
Open Enrollment. The school board attorney advised that “there are likely to be open enrollment bills 
that move through the legislature during the 2027 legislative session, so it is possible that the 
landscape will change next year.” The superintendent is concerned that this open enrollment scenario 
could present a significant financial burden to the school district. 
HB 1300: An Act establishing a school district local tax cap question for the state general elections of 
2026 and 2028 and related limitations on central office administrative expenses in school districts. HB 
1300 is a recently enacted state law that forces a school district local tax cap question onto the 
general election ballots in November 2026 and November 2028. Signed into law on July 15, 2026, the 
mandate bypasses the traditional annual town meeting process, requiring every town and city ward 
across the state to vote on the measure. This is a voter referendum on school district tax caps during 
major state elections. The legislation requires a 3/5 majority vote to implement a two-year cap on 
property tax growth while capping central office administrative spending at 6% of the budget. The 
superintendent is concerned about the impact of this legislation on our sending district where the 
majority of the budget is student tuition, mandated special education costs, and contractual 
agreements. 
 
Non-public. The superintendent will provide the school board with confidential updates, as allowed 
under RSA 91. 
 
8. Public Comment: None 
 
9. Meeting date: School Board Monthly meeting Wednesday 9/9/26 at 6:30PM 
 
10. Setting the Next Meeting Agenda- 
The school board was asked if they had any specific agenda items to add to the September 
meeting.  

 
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 a. Special Education and Preschool 
 b. Policy BEDGA: Procedure for Minute Taking 
 c. District Operations Calendar 
11. Non-Public Session RSA 91-A:3 if necessary **See Items 6c, 6d & 6e** 
Non-public session requested as allowed by RSA 91-A:3  
▪ 
Student Services RSA 91-A:3 II(C).  
▪ 
Contracts RSA 91-A:3 II(A) 
Motion to move the meeting into Non-Public session at 6:57PM by Malinda under the Student 
Support Services and Contracts RSA 91-A:3 
Seconded by Mike 
Discussion: None 
Voice Vote Unanimous 
Motion approved Meeting moved into Non-Public at 6:57PM  
******The Board discussed Special Education updates of services to Sullivan Students as well 
as budgeting aspects for these services. Also evaluated the superintendent and discussed 
superintendent services and District goals. *** 
 
Meeting moved back to Public at 7:59PM 
 
12. Adjournment 
Motion: Barbara made a motion to adjourn.  
Seconded by: Malinda 
Voice Vote: Unanimous 
Motion passes and the Meeting closed at 8:05PM 
 
Signed By: