An initiative to cap the ConVal School District’s budget will be on the district’s ballot in March.

A petition warrant article that would cap the budget at $56,144,000 garnered the 25 necessary signatures to be put to voters in the district. The budget recommended by the School Board for the 2025-2026 school year is $61,391,446, an increase of just over 3% over this year’s budget. The budget cap warrant article states that “the School Board shall not submit a recommended budget that is higher than 29,000 dollars per pupil costs times the average daily membership in residence in the district,” allowing for an increase for inflation. 

The article seeking to cap the budget was informed by the School District Governance Association of New Hampshire, according to Blake Minckler, a Dublin resident and member of the Dublin Education Advisory Committee. The organization’s website states that it is “Giving voters a voice by empowering elected school district officials to reclaim control over budgets and curriculum.” 

The warrant article references RSA 32:5-e, which allows districts to appropriate funds based on a per-pupil cost and average daily attendance. 

“The calculation involved the (average daily membership), which is 1,936 students in the district, and dividing a school budget total by that figure,” Minckler said. The $29,000 figure was arrived at by dividing the approved 2023-2024 budget of $56,388,056 by the 1,936 attendance figure.

The district’s budget proposal already cuts six teachers. Property Committee Chair Jim Fredrickson of Sharon said last week that if voters do not approve the proposal, the district will have a default budget, which would mean cutting more teachers.  The default budget would be $60.5 million. The School Board does not recommend the budget cap article.

Asked how both proposed budgets could fare before voters, Dublin representative to the ConVal School Board Alan Edelkind was unsure.

“I don’t know what would happen if both warrant articles passed,” he said.

The district has scheduled the following public hearings on the budget cap proposal:

-- Monday, Feb. 10, at Hancock Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 14).

-- Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Dublin Consolidated School at 6:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 14th).

-- Wednesday, Feb. 12, at ConVal High School at 6:15 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.).

-- 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.).