Meeting report · School Board
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School Board — June 3, 2026
The meeting featured significant tension regarding transparency, both in terms of public information requests and administrative spending.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
School Lunch Price Increase
$0.25 increase per meal Affected: Students and families participating in the school meal program.
fee change
02
Staffing Crisis
Potential reliance on non-certified staff to fill vacancies. Affected: Middle school students and faculty.
service reduction
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of the amended agenda to include a non-public session.
The addition was placed after item three (vape detectors) and before subcommittee reports.
Approved by consent
Approval of proposed school lunch price increases.
High school meals to increase from $3.75 to $4.00; middle and elementary school meals to increase from $3.50 to $3.75.
6-1
Approval of NH State Police training request using simulated ammunition.
The board supports the training at the district building, including the use of simulated ammunition, noting there is no charge to the district.
7-0
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 01:29 Agenda Amendment
The board discussed adding a non-public meeting under RSA 91-A:3, section 2, parents, to the agenda between items three and four.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 02:30 Yearbook Recognition
The board recognized Ms. Hillary Walsh and the Stevens High School yearbook class for receiving the Jostens Silver Level Award for engagement and student skill development.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 08:10 Superintendent's Report: End of Year & Exit Interviews
Updates on school closing dates and a discussion on encouraging departing staff to complete anonymous exit interviews for district improvement.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 11:49 Superintendent's Report: Student Information System
An update on the plan to transition from PowerSchool to Alma, noting a desire for a gradual and thoughtful rollout.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 15:12 Staffing and Vacancies
Dr. Broderick reported on current vacancies, noting significant challenges in hiring for the middle school, and discussed potential contingency plans (Plan B) such as hiring via alternative certification pathways.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 27:20 Organizational Chart Proposal
Dr. Broderick presented a draft organizational chart that separates central office functions from educational programs and proposes delineating student services/counseling from special education.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 33:00 Special Education Compliance
A discussion regarding non-compliance in IEP renewals, which impacts the district's ability to claim Medicaid reimbursement.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 38:00 Transportation and Driver Licensing
Board members inquired about the status of a 'tour and officer' (likely 'truancy officer') position and the requirements for specialized licenses for home-to-school transportation.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 46:00 -1 School Calendar
Discussion regarding the upcoming school calendar, student start dates, and the need to ensure sufficient instructional hours to meet state regulations.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 55:00 Finance Update
The district's cash balance was reported at $5.1 million, with an expected balance of $4 million after final payroll. Updates on audits were also provided.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 59:30 Riverview Partnership/CTE Enrollment
Discussion regarding student eligibility for enrollment in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) center and the importance of recapturing local students.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:02:10 Summer Programming (ESY, Summer Camp, and Credit Recovery)
An overview of summer offerings including academic boost camps, Extended School Year (ESY) for IEP students, and credit recovery programs.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:14:41 School Lunch Pricing
A proposal to increase meal prices by $0.25 to align with USDA recommendations and maintain equity.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:18:51 New Hampshire State Police Training Request
Discussion of a request for the State Police to use a district building for training using simulated ammunition.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:25:37 Vape Detector Installation
Discussion regarding the use of grant funds to install additional vape detectors in school bathrooms.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:33:00 Committee Reports and Goal Setting
Updates on various subcommittees and the process for annual goal setting in July.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Right to Know Information Requests
A community member requested a comprehensive list of all public information requests, costs, and subjects to investigate communication gaps. This sparked an internal debate among board members regarding their individual right to information versus centralized administration through the Board Chair.
Board position: Divided; the Board Chair advocated for funneling requests through the Chair, while other members asserted their right to individual access.
Internal dissent
Internal disagreement between the Board Chair and other board members regarding information access protocols.
medium concern
02
Administrative Compensation Transparency
A community member raised questions regarding significant moving expenses paid to a former principal, suggesting they appeared to be in addition to regular salary.
Board position: The board deferred investigation, with the Finance Director requesting more specific details before responding.
medium concern
03
Staffing Vacancies and Alternative Certification
Significant vacancies in the middle school are forcing the district to consider 'Plan B' (hiring non-educators via alternative certification), which may impact educational quality.
Board position: The administration is actively seeking pathways to fill vacancies to maintain operations.
medium concern
Split votes
Approval of proposed school lunch price increases
6-1
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Email the list of yearbook students to the board for inclusion in the minutes.
Assigned: Ms. Hillary Walsh
Strongly encourage departing staff to complete anonymous exit interviews.
Assigned: Superintendent/HR
Follow up on the job description and expectations for the truancy officer position.
Assigned: Dr. Broderick · Due: Next meeting
Present a proposed school calendar for -1.
Assigned: Dr. Broderick · Due: 2026-07-21
Investigate specific moving expense queries regarding a former principal.
Assigned: Matt (Finance)
Connect with Board Member M to identify the specific employee regarding questioned moving expenses.
Assigned: Matt (a speaker)
Submit end-of-year report to the board.
Assigned: Matt (a speaker) · Due: Late August
Review community engagement opportunities.
Assigned: Board Members · Due: July/August meetings
Prepare a list of all Right to Know requests, including subject and costs, for board review.
Assigned: Administration · Due: September
Notable statements
Plan B [for staffing] is anybody who holds a bachelor's degree who might be interested in pursuing a career in education. We can find a pathway to licensure. — Dr. Broderick · Discussing how to address teacher vacancies in the middle school. ▶ 22:00
If you can't pay for it, you can't do it. — Dr. Broderick · Discussing the rationale behind the proposed organizational chart and budget alignment. ▶ 28:20
I want to put those schools out of business too, I want to put it out 'cause we are the place to come to school. ... Anything we can do to recapture those kids is a win. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the enrollment of Riverview students into the local CTE program. ▶ 1:01:05
It's not that we're missing learning hours... The trick here has been... if we just count hours in the first place, we only have to have a hundred and seventy-two and a half days. — Dr. Broderick (Speaker J/C) · Explaining how school calendars can accidentally fall short of state-required instructional hours due to snow days. ▶ 48:00
As a board member, you're entitled to information. And you can't make sound decisions without that information. — Unidentified speaker · Debating the right of individual board members to request information from administration. ▶ 1:48:00
Member positions
0 issues · 0 explicit · 0 inferred
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
7
Total speakers
4
Addressed
2
Partial
1
Not addressed
Hilary Walsh
Addressed
Ms. Walsh, a technology teacher, shared information about the Stevens High School yearbook receiving a silver level award for engagement and student skill development. She discussed how the program evolved from a small club to a successful class and mentioned the challenges of limited funding and equipment.
Key concern
Celebrating the achievement and recognition of the yearbook program.
Board responseThe board congratulated the team and requested a list of student names to be included in the meeting minutes.
The board acknowledged the success and provided a practical way to record the achievement in the official minutes.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
The speaker inquired about the availability of the current student representatives at the next meeting, noting that they are graduating seniors. They expressed appreciation for the students' work and efforts.
Key concern
Whether graduating student representatives would be present at the next meeting.
Board responseThe Superintendent's office responded that they might be able to attend the next meeting on the 17th and noted that elections for new reps are underway.
The board/administration provided a specific timeframe and status update regarding the student representatives.
Unidentified speaker
Partial
The speaker asked for clarification on whether the district is actually implementing the plan to include transportation under McKinney-Vento for the tour officer role. They also questioned the usage of bus aides and what their specific duties are between scheduled runs.
Key concern
Implementation of specific transportation/staffing roles and the efficiency/duty of bus aides.
Board responseThe Superintendent explained the licensing requirements for transporting students and promised to add the bus aide inquiry to the next agenda for follow-up.
The board answered the first question regarding the officer role but deferred the second question regarding bus aides to a future meeting.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
The speaker followed up on the previous comment regarding the tour officer, asking for clarification on whether the individual was unable to obtain the necessary certification or if they simply haven't been trained yet.
Key concern
Clarification on the specific reasons why the tour officer position was not fulfilled as expected.
Board responseThe Superintendent and Board Chair discussed the need to verify the specific expectations and training status, agreeing to add it to the next agenda for follow-up.
The board acknowledged the need for verification and officially scheduled a follow-up on the specific concern.
Unidentified speaker
Partial
The speaker presented concerns regarding significant moving expenses paid to a recently departed principal. They noted that the amounts appeared to be in addition to the regular salary.
Key concern
Transparency regarding administrative compensation and moving expenses.
Board responseThe Finance Director stated he would need to connect with the speaker to identify the specific employee before providing answers.
The board member received a commitment to investigate, but did not receive an immediate answer to the specific amount questioned.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
The speaker inquired about the distinction between the qualifications for a director of student counseling versus a director of special education, noting the current overlap in social worker responsibilities.
Key concern
Clarification of the proposed organizational structure and role differentiation.
Board responseThe Superintendent explained that the current system has significant compliance and workload issues in special education and that the new structure aims to address these needs.
The administration provided an explanation of the functional differences and the reasoning behind the proposed organizational changes.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
The speaker expressed a desire for the school district to provide a definitive start date for the upcoming school year as early as possible to help families plan.
Key concern
Early notification of the school start date.
Board responseThe Superintendent indicated that while they couldn't give a date immediately, they would aim to provide clarity on the start date soon.
The administration acknowledged the request and provided a timeline for when more information would be available.
Unidentified speaker
Not addressed
The speaker requested a list of all 'Right to Know' requests submitted to the district, including names, subjects, and costs, to help identify if communication gaps are driving these requests.
Key concern
Transparency and data collection regarding public information requests.
Board responseThe discussion was somewhat contentious, with the Board Chair requesting that such requests be funneled through the Chair, while other members argued for the right to individual information access.
While the topic was heavily discussed by the board, no formal agreement or commitment was made to produce the requested list of 'Right to Know' requests.
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Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4-fast, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-04.