Article 3:
Long Range Planning & Cost Review ($50,000)
Warrant Article Language
Shall the Souhegan Cooperative School District raise and appropriate the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the purpose of developing a long-range plan to ensure Souhegan High School remains educationally strong, student centered, fiscally responsible, and well-aligned with academic, technological, enrollment, facility, and other needs over the next decade? This special warrant article will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will not lapse until the development of the long range plan is completed or by 6/30/2028, whichever is sooner. This sum to come from new taxation. Majority vote required.
Recommended by the Souhegan Cooperative School Board (7-0)
Recommended by the Souhegan Cooperative School District Advisory Finance Committee (5-2)
Estimated tax impact of passing this article is $0.02 per thousand for Amherst and $0.01 per thousand for Mont Vernon.
BOARD EXPLANATION
Article 3 requests a modest, one-time investment to engage independent experts to support
Souhegan’s planning in response to changes in New Hampshire’s public education environment.
The work will be directed by the School Board in partnership with school leadership. Outside
experts will not make decisions for Souhegan. Their role is to provide independent analysis,
comparative information, and technical expertise to inform local decision-making.
This request reflects current conditions affecting public schools statewide, including expanded
school choice, public school open enrollment, Education Freedom Accounts, changing family
expectations, fiscal constraints, and demographic shifts. These factors are already influencing
enrollment patterns, revenue stability, and long-term sustainability for districts across New
Hampshire.
Families are also expressing clear expectations for schools. They are seeking learning that is
personalized, academically rigorous, connected to real-world application, and grounded in strong
student–teacher relationships. Schools are increasingly expected to prepare students for
postsecondary education, careers, and civic life in a complex and evolving environment.
Article 3 allows Souhegan to assess these conditions proactively, test assumptions, and plan
deliberately rather than reactively. It is a one-time investment intended to support responsible
governance, sound financial planning, and long-term stewardship on behalf of students,
taxpayers, and the community.
SOUHEGAN ADVISORY FINANCE COMMITTEE COMMENTS
The vote on Article 3 was 5 in favor and 2 opposed. For the most part, members of the SAFC support the concept of doing a long range study of Souhegan, but 2 were concerned about the lack of specificity of the article and/or the use of taxpayer dollars to fund it.
VOICE OF THE VOTER
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