Hancock residents heard a very clear view from ConVal School Board Chair Richard Dunning Monday on a petition warrant article proposing to cap the district’s budget.

“We are very, very concerned about this article passing,” said Dunning during a public hearing at Hancock Elementary School. 

The warrant article would cap the district’s budget at $29,000 per pupil, multiplied by the numbers of students in the district, and allowing for an increase for inflation. Using an average daily attendance figure of 1,936, the budget for 2025-2026 would be $56,144,000. The School Board has recommended a budget of $61,391,446. 

The article was presented by petition for the March 11 district election.

“The signatories of this petition chose not to participate in the budget process,” said Dunning, who then asked a question of the approximately 60 people in attendance – “Is there anyone here who signed the petition?”

No one in the room responded. 

Curtis Hamilton, Greenfield’s representative to the School Board, discussed the impact on schools and students if the article passed.

“It would be absolutely devastating. Education would be unrecognizable,” said Hamilton. 

Accompanying Hamilton’s points was a slide presentation which listed programs, sports, clubs and educational supports with lines drawn through them, indicating that they would be cut from schools should the article pass.

“Its not just a budget cap, it’s a budget cut,” said School Board member Jim Frederickson of Sharon, a point echoed by School Board Dan Harper of Hancock on Tuesday.

“Calling it a cut is a much more accurate term,” said Harper. 

State Rep. Molly Howard, whose Hillsborough 31 district, covers Hancock and Greenfield, spoke about the proposal during the public hearing.

“Up in Concord, the state is already giving education money away in vouchers,” said Howard.

Later, she explained a connection she perceives between school enrollment numbers and the warrant article.

“Enrollments are down in many schools, in part because the vouchers allow parents to pull their children out of public schools. Some people look at the reduced numbers and think that there should be cuts,” said Howard.

In 2010, ConVal High School enrolled approximately 1,000 students in grades nine to 12, a number that has fallen to less than 700 students at the school. This reflects national and statewide trends, the latter being an approximately 20% drop in students enrolled in Granite State public schools over the past two decades. A declining birthrate and an aging population in New Hampshire are among the reasons for these numbers. 

“How soon would you cut sports (if the petition warrant article passed)?” asked Kat Harper, no relation to Dan Harper.

“Immediately,” said Dunning. As the proposal targets the upcoming school year, fall sports would likely be the first season to experience the reduction of funds. 

David Kidd of Hancock said residents should consider the source of the initiative to scale back school funding.

“This is the work of Free Staters. Their goal is to destroy public education in New Hampshire. These are not homegrown ideas. They’re from outside our state,” said Kidd. 

According to Dublin Education Advisory Committee member Blake Minckler, it was informed by the School District Governance Association of New Hampshire, which states that it is “Giving voters a voice by empowering elected school district officials to reclaim control over budgets and curriculum.” 

The School Board is required to hold hearings across the district on the article, and has scheduled the following public hearings:

.-- Thursday, Feb. 13, at Francestown Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.).

-- Monday, Feb. 17, at Antrim Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.).

-- Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Greenfield Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.).

-- Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Temple Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 22  at 1 p.m.).

-- Thursday, Feb. 20, at Pierce Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 22  at 1 p.m.).

-- Friday, Feb. 21, at Sharon Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 22  at 1 p.m.).