Raymond Voter Information Project

Article 17

Restructure School Administrative Unit (SAU) 33

Text of 2011 Town Warrant Article 17

This citizen petition article was submitted to both the Town and School warrants. See Article 7 on the School Warrant for the article as amended at the School Deliberative Session on 12 February 2011.

At Town Deliberative Session on 5 February 2011, the Town’s Legal Counsel, Robert Ciandella, stated that since the Town of Raymond is a separate corporate entity from the School District, “this article has no binding or legal effect.”

This citizen’s petition warrant article seeks to direct the Board of Selectmen to reorganize the Raymond School Administrative Unit (SAU) and eliminate some of the employees that work in the SAU office building.¹ Their administrative duties would be divided among the school principals and the school special education coordinators on a rotating basis. The article further suggests that the SAU building could be used to house special education students currently sent out of district. The School District’s Legal Counsel states that a vote on this article would be advisory only.² The figures regarding cost savings lack sufficient detail to determine the decrease per $1,000 of tax valuation.

A YES vote advises the Board of Selectmen to take action as described above.

A NO vote advises the Board of Selectmen not to take the action described above.

Reasons why some voters might vote yes:

• To instruct the Board of Selectmen to change the way the school district is managed, shifting workload to other staff to eliminate positions.
• The petitioners state that this restructure will save money.³

Reasons why some voters might vote no:

• State law and past court cases indicate that this article is advisory only. A vote to direct the Board of Selectmen to take a particular action regarding the school district administration is beyond the authority of the Town Deliberative Meeting.
• The positions of Superintendent and Principal have different educational requirements and different functions. The loss of knowledge and skills unique to the director-level positions eliminated may require the District to seek outside support at additional cost.
• Special education students who are educated in-district must, by law, be included in classrooms with other students. Special education students who are educated out of district have specific educational/physical/emotional needs that cannot be met within district, regardless of space available. (Examples: hospitalization, incarceration)

References:

1. Positions to be eliminated: Superintendent, Human Resources Director, Administrative Assistant, Special Education Director, Technology Director, and support personnel for the SAU. Position subject to elimination: Business Administrator.
2. Ashley v. Rye, 111 NH 54 (1971), RSA 194-C:4, RSA 189:1-a, RSA 21:29
3. At this point, the Raymond Voter Information Project has not been provided with sufficient detail on projected cost savings to verify the accuracy of the amounts listed in the petition warrant article.

Please send questions/comments to editor@raymondvip.org

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