Your area Not set — showing everywhere
Meeting report · Kearsarge Regional School Board Minutes-only
Creating this report cost real money. Help fund coverage →

Kearsarge Regional School Board — April 16, 2026

The meeting was routine, consisting of standard administrative approvals, budgeted purchases, and a professional development presentation with no active debate or public conflict.

Date Thursday, April 16, 2026 Public comments 1 Decisions 14 Routine

Questions about this meeting? ⁠Just ask.

Ask MeetingWatch answers from this meeting’s report, transcript, and records — with linked sources.

Summary AI-generated to surface controversy & community impact without bias — always verify against the actual meeting before relying on it.

At the April 16, 2026, Kearsarge Regional School Board meeting, several significant financial commitments were approved that will impact district budgets for years to come.

In terms of technology, the board authorized over $200,000 in spending for hardware, including $112,465 for 6th and 9th-grade Chromebooks, $40,916 for 1st-grade Chromebooks, and $50,655 for teacher laptops. Additionally, the board approved the purchase of a new district website through Apptegy Thrillshare. While the initial setup cost is $16,835, this decision carries a recurring annual cost of $58,135.

Other major approvals included $18,718 for new campus signage and the acceptance of a grant for lead remediation in the district's drinking water.

Of note to residents is the voting pattern of the board: Chair Alison Mastin abstained from nearly every major motion presented, including the technology purchases, textbook approvals, and personnel decisions. We will continue to monitor how these large-scale expenditures align with long-term district planning and taxpayer expectations.

Apr 16, 2026 1 public comments 14 decisions Routine
Notable statements Drag to browse

“As board members we need to safeguard confidentiality when topics have not been disclosed publicly.”

— Alison Mastin · Chair's report regarding board conduct.

“The anchor school agreement with Croydon costs that town a lot less than they would have had to pay in an open-enrollment situation.”

— Mag Francis · Public comment regarding strategic planning and out-of-district student placement. 00:00
This meeting — choose a section

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
What was discussed

Over $200,000 in combined technology expenditures

What happened

The board approved all four technology-related purchase recommendations.

What was discussed

Grant funding for district drinking water remediation

What happened

The board approved the grant acceptance and authorized the Superintendent to sign the necessary documents.

Topics ⁠discussed

Each topic expands to quotes and full context.
Speakers: Rebecca Hemingway, Colleen MacIntyre
What was discussed

Students and ELO coordinators presented on a trade-based high school project.

What happened

The board approved a motion to allow students to fundraise for the project.

Speakers: Taylor Lipinski
What was discussed

The Athletic Director proposed a partnership for an area-wide basketball team.

What happened

The board approved the cooperative sports team proposal.

Speakers: Barbra Turner
What was discussed

The Technology Director presented several budgeted IT procurement requests.

What happened

The board approved all four technology-related purchase recommendations.

Speakers: John Fortney
What was discussed

Discussion regarding a grant for lead remediation in district drinking water.

What happened

The board approved the grant acceptance and authorized Superintendent Fortney to sign documents.

Speakers: Brett Christina, Will Phillips
What was discussed

A presentation by NHSBA regarding board member duties and responsibilities.

What happened

The presentation was completed before the meeting adjourned.

Speakers: Alison Mastin, Matt Esenwine, John Fortney, Larry LeBoeuf
What was discussed

The board reviewed minutes, noted a board member resignation, and addressed personnel changes and campus signage.

What happened

The board approved the April 2nd minutes, accepted two staff departures (Katsanos and Crowe), approved a new Assistant Principal hire, and approved the signage purchase.

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
1
Speaker
1
Comments
0
Addressed
0
Partial
1
Not addressed
Mag Francis
00:00
Not addressed
She noted that the current anchor school agreement with Croydon is more cost-effective for that town than an open-enrollment model. She suggested the board include more detailed discussion regarding out-of-district student placement during the upcoming strategic plan development. Key concern
Request for deeper discussion on out-of-district student placement during strategic planning.
The transcript does not record any verbal response or action taken by the board regarding this specific suggestion during the meeting.

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of April 2, 2026, meeting minutes
Approved as written.
7-0-2 (Mastin and Glynn abstained)
Acceptance of resignation: Sarah Katsanos (NLES Teacher)
Effective 6/30/2026.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
Acceptance of retirement: Melissa Crowe (KRMS Teacher)
Effective 6/30/2026.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
Hiring of Thom Smith (NLES Assistant Principal)
Effective 7/1/2026.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
Acceptance of Cengage for middle school math textbooks
Approved vendor for textbooks.
6-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
Purchase of NH Signs campus signage
Cost: $18,718.50.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Student fundraising for Tiny-House Project
Motion to allow students to fundraise.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Unified Basketball partnership with Sunapee School District
Approved cooperative sports team.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Purchase of 6th and 9th grade Chromebooks (WCA)
Cost: $112,465.00 (includes licensing).
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Purchase of 1st grade Chromebooks (WCA)
Cost: $40,916.00.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Purchase of Teacher Laptops (Eastern Data)
Cost: $50,655.00.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Purchase of new District Website (Apptegy Thrillshare)
$16,835.00 initial setup; $58,135.00 annual cost.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Acceptance of Lead Remediation Grant
Authorizes Superintendent to sign documents and expend funds.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained)
00:00
Adoption of multiple school policies (JICK, JICI, EHLB, BDB, BEDD, BEDC, BCD, DJE)
Covers bullying prevention, weapons, subpoenas, board officers, rules of order, quorum, conflict of interest, and bidding.
8-0-1 (Mastin abstained) for all

Share ⁠this report

Drafts ready to post — click any block to copy.

X / Twitter — by angle

fiscal transparency regarding large technology expenditures
At the 4/16 Kearsarge Regional School Board meeting, the board approved several major tech purchases, including over $153,000 for Chromebooks and $50,655 for teacher laptops. All items were noted as budgeted. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/kearsarge-regional/school-board/2026-04-16/ #MeetingWatch #KearsargeRegionalNH
315/280 chars
long-term fiscal impact of recurring software/service costs
Taxpayer Alert: The Kearsarge School Board just approved a new district website with an initial setup cost of $16,835 and a recurring annual cost of $58,135. Details from the 4/16 meeting. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/kearsarge-regional/school-board/2026-04-16/ #MeetingWatch #KearsargeRegionalNH
295/280 chars
board member conduct and participation patterns
During the 4/16 Kearsarge School Board meeting, Chair Alison Mastin abstained from nearly every major vote, including personnel hires, textbook approvals, and $200k+ in tech purchases. Why the frequent abstentions? https://meetingwatch.org/nh/kearsarge-regional/school-board/2026-04-16/ #MeetingWatch #KearsargeRegionalNH
321/280 chars

X thread

1
Kearsarge Regional School Board spent significant taxpayer funds during their April 16 meeting. Here is the breakdown of the major financial decisions made behind the podium. 🧵 #MeetingWatch #KearsargeRegionalNH
211/280
2
Tech spending was the largest driver. The board approved $112,465 for 6th/9th grade Chromebooks, $40,916 for 1st grade Chromebooks, and $50,655 for teacher laptops. Total tech hardware/licensing: ~$204,000.
206/280
3
The board also approved a new district website. While the initial setup is $16,835, residents should note the $58,135 annual recurring cost. Additionally, $18,718 was approved for new campus signage.
199/280
4
Notably, Chair Alison Mastin abstained from almost every substantive vote on the agenda, from textbook approvals to the large tech purchases. We are watching for clarity on board participation. #Kearsarge #LocalGov https://meetingwatch.org/nh/kearsarge-regional/school-board/2026-04-16/
238/280

Facebook — long form

At the April 16, 2026, Kearsarge Regional School Board meeting, several significant financial commitments were approved that will impact district budgets for years to come.

In terms of technology, the board authorized over $200,000 in spending for hardware, including $112,465 for 6th and 9th-grade Chromebooks, $40,916 for 1st-grade Chromebooks, and $50,655 for teacher laptops. Additionally, the board approved the purchase of a new district website through Apptegy Thrillshare. While the initial setup cost is $16,835, this decision carries a recurring annual cost of $58,135.

Other major approvals included $18,718 for new campus signage and the acceptance of a grant for lead remediation in the district's drinking water. 

Of note to residents is the voting pattern of the board: Chair Alison Mastin abstained from nearly every major motion presented, including the technology purchases, textbook approvals, and personnel decisions. We will continue to monitor how these large-scale expenditures align with long-term district planning and taxpayer expectations. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/kearsarge-regional/school-board/2026-04-16/ #MeetingWatch #KearsargeRegionalNH

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Seek board revision to Policy DAF to adjust micro purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds.
Assigned: Policy Committee

Member ⁠positions

0 issues · 0 explicit · 0 inferred
Present
Approval of April 2, 2026, meeting minutes ABSTAIN
Acceptance of resignation: Sarah Katsanos (NLES Teacher) ABSTAIN
Acceptance of retirement: Melissa Crowe (KRMS Teacher) ABSTAIN
Hiring of Thom Smith (NLES Assistant Principal) ABSTAIN
Acceptance of Cengage for middle school math textbooks ABSTAIN
Purchase of NH Signs campus signage ABSTAIN
Student fundraising for Tiny-House Project ABSTAIN
Unified Basketball partnership with Sunapee School District ABSTAIN
Purchase of 6th and 9th grade Chromebooks (WCA) ABSTAIN
Purchase of 1st grade Chromebooks (WCA) ABSTAIN
Purchase of Teacher Laptops (Eastern Data) ABSTAIN
Purchase of new District Website (Apptegy Thrillshare) ABSTAIN
Acceptance of Lead Remediation Grant ABSTAIN
Adoption of multiple school policies ABSTAIN
Kristen Schultz
Vice Chair
Present
Approval of April 2, 2026, meeting minutes YES ~
Acceptance of resignation: Sarah Katsanos (NLES Teacher) YES ~
Acceptance of retirement: Melissa Crowe (KRMS Teacher) YES ~
Hiring of Thom Smith (NLES Assistant Principal) YES ~
Acceptance of Cengage for middle school math textbooks YES ~
Purchase of NH Signs campus signage YES ~
Student fundraising for Tiny-House Project YES ~
Unified Basketball partnership with Sunapee School District YES ~
Purchase of 6th and 9th grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of 1st grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of Teacher Laptops (Eastern Data) YES ~
Purchase of new District Website (Apptegy Thrillshare) YES ~
Acceptance of Lead Remediation Grant YES ~
Adoption of multiple school policies YES ~
Emma Bates
Member
Present
Approval of April 2, 2026, meeting minutes YES ~
Acceptance of resignation: Sarah Katsanos (NLES Teacher) YES ~
Acceptance of retirement: Melissa Crowe (KRMS Teacher) YES ~
Hiring of Thom Smith (NLES Assistant Principal) YES ~
Acceptance of Cengage for middle school math textbooks YES ~
Purchase of NH Signs campus signage YES ~
Student fundraising for Tiny-House Project YES ~
Unified Basketball partnership with Sunapee School District YES ~
Purchase of 6th and 9th grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of 1st grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of Teacher Laptops (Eastern Data) YES ~
Purchase of new District Website (Apptegy Thrillshare) YES ~
Acceptance of Lead Remediation Grant YES ~
Adoption of multiple school policies YES ~
Art Bobruff
Member
Present
Approval of April 2, 2026, meeting minutes YES ~
Acceptance of resignation: Sarah Katsanos (NLES Teacher) YES ~
Acceptance of retirement: Melissa Crowe (KRMS Teacher) YES ~
Hiring of Thom Smith (NLES Assistant Principal) YES ~
Acceptance of Cengage for middle school math textbooks YES ~
Purchase of NH Signs campus signage YES ~
Student fundraising for Tiny-House Project YES ~
Unified Basketball partnership with Sunapee School District YES ~
Purchase of 6th and 9th grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of 1st grade Chromebooks (WCA) YES ~
Purchase of Teacher Laptops (Eastern Data) YES ~
Purchase of new District Website (Apptegy Thrillshare) YES ~
Acceptance of Lead Remediation Grant YES ~
Adoption of multiple school policies YES

Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position. UNCLEAR means the vote was split but the record did not name how this member voted — it is not a “yes.”

Support coverage

Creating this report cost ⁠real money.

MeetingWatch attended, transcribed, and analyzed this meeting on its own dime. If this work is valuable to you, chip in to keep covering Kearsarge Regional.

Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning, grok-4-fast · analyzed 2026-07-10.