Warrant Articles – School Meeting 2017

February 24, 2017 • Saved under Town Meeting

To the inhabitants of the School District in the Town of Andover qualified to vote in district affairs:

You are hereby notified to meet at the Andover Elementary/Middle School Gymnasium in said district on Monday, the 6th day of March 2017, at 7 PM to act upon the following subjects:

Article 1: Long Term Borrowing (Special Warrant Article)

To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,600,000 for construction and renovations to the Andover Elementary/Middle School; and to authorize the issuance of not more than $3,600,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA Chapter 33); and to authorize the School Board to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon; and to authorize the School Board to accept and expend on behalf of the District any federal, state, or private funds that may become available for any part of the project described above.

Further, to raise and appropriate the sum of $303,300 for the first year’s principal and interest payment on the bonds or notes issued, of which the sum of up to $24,420 will come from the unassigned fund balance available for transfer at the end of the 2016-2017 fiscal year. [Two-thirds ballot vote required for passage.]

The Budget Committee and School Board recommend passing this article.

Article 2

To see if the District will vote to accept the reports of Officials, Agents, Auditors, and/or Committees as printed in the School District report.

Article 3

To see if the District will accept the provisions of RSA 198:20-b providing that any School District at an annual meeting may adopt an article authorizing indefinitely, until specific rescission of such authority, the School Board to apply for, accept, and expend, without further action by the School District, unanticipated money from a state, federal, or other governmental unit or a private source which becomes available during the fiscal year.

Article 4

To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $4,980,082 for the support of schools, for the payment of salaries of School District officers and agents, and for the payment of statutory obligations of said District and to authorize the application against said appropriation of such sums that are estimated to be raised from the state’s equalization payment, together with other income. The School Board shall certify to the Select Board of Andover the amount to be raised by taxation of said town.

The Budget Committee and School Board recommend this appropriation.

Article 5

To see if the School District will approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Andover School Board and the Andover Support Staff Association, which calls for the following estimated increases in salaries and benefits:

  • 2017-2018     $12,133
  • 2018-2019         6,114
  • 2019-2020       6,039

And further, to raise and appropriate the sum of $12,133 for the 2017-2018 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.

The Budget Committee and School Board recommend this appropriation.

Article 6

Shall the School District, if Article 5 is defeated, authorize the governing body to call one special meeting, at its option, to address Article 5 cost items only? [Majority vote]

Article 7

Shall the District resolve to instruct the School Board to study the feasibility of entering into a tuition agreement with the Merrimack Valley School District for all students in Grades 6-8 residing in the District to attend the Merrimack Valley Middle School; and furthermore to place on hold any construction or renovation projects until such time as the Board reports back to this body with the results of this study, and the voters are presented with all options; and to raise and appropriate $5,000 to cover costs associated with this study. [By petition]

The Budget Committee and School Board do not recommend this article.

Article 8

To transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.