The New Hampshire School Board Association award School Board of Excellence recognition to the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District School Board in recognition of its work during the 2023-2024 school year.

School Board members were Kim AuCoin (at-large), Charles Eicher (Rindge), Nathan Flowers (Jaffrey), John McCarthy (Jaffrey), Christine Pressman (Jaffrey), Christopher Ratcliffe (Rindge) and Lisa Wiley (Rindge), with McCarthy as chairperson and Eicher as vice-chairperson.

According to a statement released by the district, the award acknowledges the leadership, teamwork, and effectiveness of school boards and provides an opportunity for the chosen board to share its expertise with others throughout the state.  The Jaffrey-Rindge School Board was nominated for work that included new food service and wellness programs, an ongoing HVAC replacement project, merging the middle and high schools, instituting a no-cut policy for middle school athletics, providing universal access to preschool and continued support for proficiency grading.

The district also opened the Little Orioles Center to provide child care to staff members’ children while they are working. Currently, 15 children are enrolled, from infancy to age 4, serving 12 families. The Little Orioles Center is located in Conant Middle High School, and provides opportunities for older learners to work in the center as child care providers as part of an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO).

“Implementing the Little Orioles Center filled a critical need for our staff,” stated Superintendent Reuben Duncan. “The board recognized the importance of child care to recruitment and retention and moved quickly to implement a solution. Facility improvements, including installing a toddler-friendly playground, equipment purchases and staffing were addressed thoughtfully.”

The board and the Jaffrey-Rindge Education Association (JREA), which represents the district’s teachers, worked collaboratively on a new collective bargaining agreement that works toward goals of increasing innovative incentives such as paid parental leave and addressing critical shortages.

Erica Jordan, co-president of the JREA, stated, “The Jaffrey-Rindge School Board has been receptive to staff members’ questions and concerns. On more than one occasion, they have invited us to participate in policy committee meetings to help us gain a better understanding of upcoming changes and in recognition of the value input we might have in particular policies. The individual School Board members are visible and involved in our school community in a variety of ways. This includes regularly attending school events such as concerts, plays and sporting events. Many School Board members also actively post and support our schools through their own social media accounts. We even have one School Board member who volunteered to coach a team.”

The board will be recognized at the 2024 Excellence in Education award ceremony and banquet June 8 in Manchester.