To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $80,000 to replace lighting in the Auditorium atWinnacunnet High School. This project is part of the facility plan adopted by the school board. This will be a non-lapsingappropriation per RSA 32:7 VI and will not lapse until the project is complete or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. (Majority vote required.)

What it means: This project represents a full replacement and upgrade of the auditorium lighting system, over a phased two-year plan.

Those in favor say: The current system has become obsolete and requires replacement. The new proposed system is designed to provide the proper lighting for both school programs and outside organizations.

Those opposed say: No one spoke against this Article at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: A Hampton home valued at $400,000 would bear an increased tax cost of $ 3.96 in 2022 if SAU 21 Article 2 passes. Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .01 to get your cost. This decision is for the current year only.

Note: These costs for taxpayers are calculated at 47.4% of the appropriations, which is Hampton’s share.

To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $295,000 to replace the roof on the Technology Education Building at Winnacunnet High School. This project is part of the facility plan adopted by the School Board. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7 VI and will not lapse until the project is complete or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. (Majority vote required.)

What it means: The School Board proposes to raise and appropriate $295,000 to fund the replacement of the Tech Ed building roof. Hampton’s share is $139,830.

Those in favor say: The Winnacunnet School District has worked with a roofing consultant to determine condition of our rooves campus-wide, and plan for replacement based upon need; to best avoid roof failure, water penetration, and unnecessary repairs or damage.

Those opposed say: No one spoke against this Article at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: A Hampton home valued at $400,000 would bear an increased tax cost of $ 14.63 in 2022 if SAU 21 Article 3 passes. Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .04 to get your cost. This decision is for the current year only.

Note: These costs for taxpayers are calculated at 47.4% of the appropriations, which is Hampton’s share.

To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $135,000 to replace and repair athletic field lightingat Winnacunnet High School. This project is part of the facility plan adopted by the school board. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7 VI and will not lapse until the project is complete or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. (Majority vote required.)

What it means: The School Board proposes issuance of a warrant article to raise and appropriate $135,000 to fund the replacement and upgrading of athletic field lighting. Hampton’s share is $63,990.

Those in favor say: The athletic field lightbulbs are starting to burn out, with no replacements currently manufactured. The intent is to replace the current lighting with LED lighting to continue to provide athletic lighting, provide a long-term solution, and lower electricity costs.

Those opposed say: No one spoke against this Article at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: A Hampton home valued at $400,000 would bear an increased tax cost of $ 8.53 in 2022 if SAU 21 Article 4 passes. Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .02 to get your cost. This decision is for the current year only.

Note: These costs for taxpayers are calculated at 47.4% of the appropriations, which is Hampton’s share.

To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate $50,000 to be added to the existing Health Care Expendable Trust Fund, with up to $50,000 to be funded from the June 30, 2022 unassigned fund balance available for transfer on July 1, 2022. No additional amount to be raised from taxation. (Majority vote required.)

What it means: The School Board proposes funding the Health Insurance expendable trust with $50,000, utilizing unreserved fund balance, for the March 2022 ballot. Hampton’s share is $23,700.

Those in favor say: The Health Care Expendable Trust was established for the purpose of funding and safeguarding the school district against increasing health insurance premium costs, or unanticipated health insurance related expenditures. The Health Care Expendable Trust also allows for mitigation of large potential budget increases due to rising health insurance rates.

Important Note: Funding for the Health Care Expendable Trust comes from any potential available year-end fund balance – not raised via additional taxation.

Balance:     Target:

$252,302     $300,000

Those opposed say: No one spoke against this Article at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: A Hampton home valued at $400,000 would bear an increased tax cost of $ 2.84 in 2022 if SAU 21 Article 5 passes. Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .01 to get your cost. This decision is for the current year only.

Note: These costs for taxpayers are calculated at 47.4% of the appropriations, which is Hampton’s share.

To see if the School District will vote to authorize, indefinitely until rescinded, to retain year-end unassigned general funds in an amount not to exceed, in any fiscal year, 5 percent of the current fiscal year’s net assessment, in accordance with RS198:4-b, II. (Majority vote required)

What it means: The School Board proposes the adoption of a fund balance retention to safeguard the District from unusual circumstances that may result in potential over-expenditure of appropriations, or to help stabilize the tax rate by smoothing out appropriations and fluctuations in revenue over time.

Those in favor say: The fund balance retention warrant article will allow the school district to retain up to 5% of the annual operating budget as a contingency in the event of emergency or over-expenditure and/or to assist in return of fund balance for tax rate setting purposes.

 Those opposed say: No one spoke against this Article at Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: There is no direct tax impact for this Article.

Shall the School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant, or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $25,005,913?  Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $24,680,704, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the District or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only?  (Majority vote required.)

What it means:  The SAU 90 Proposed Operating Budget is more than the Default Budget by $325,210.  Non-Union salary increases and associated benefits represent more than half of that difference. As compared to last year’s actual budget, the Proposed Operating Budget represents an increase of 1.3%.

Those in favor say:  The overall budget (up 1.3%) is increasing less than the CPI of 5.9%.  The District has worked hard to control costs, and still provide Hampton’s children with an excellent education.

Those against say:  No one spoke against the Article at the SAU 90 Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: The difference between the actual budget from 2021-22 ($24,807,739) and what is proposed for 2022-23 is $198,174.  That difference will add $20.48 to the tax due for a household valued at $400,000.

Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .05 to get your cost increase versus the tax bill last year.

Note: The Default Budget is actually a decrease versus last year’s Operating Budget due to savings from retirements and hiring savings.  Looking at the Proposed Budget versus what would be the case with the Default Budget, a home valued at $400,000 would see an increase of $33.62.

Shall the School District vote to approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Hampton School Board and he Seacoast Educational Association covering a three-year period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025 which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing levels:

Year                 Estimated Increase

2022-23           $550,396

2023-24           $555,930

2024-25           $542,525

and further raise and appropriate the sum of $550,396 for the 2022-23 fiscal year, such sum representing  the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at current staffing levels in accordance with the most recent collective bargaining agreement?  (Majority vote required.)

What it means:  These costs represent the increases negotiated by the School Board and the Seacoast Educational Association, representing 117 teaching professionals.

Those in favor say:  SAU 90 has fallen behind nearby school districts at all levels.  The following chart was taken from the presentation to the Budget Committee, and indicates that Hampton is vulnerable to loss of teachers to nearby school districts (Exeter, Portsmouth and SAU 21).  Hampton salaries are in green.

Those against say: No one spoke against this Article at the SAU 90 Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: If Article 2 is approved, it will cause an increase in taxes of $57.24 for a home valued at $400,000.  Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .108 to get your cost.

Shall the School District vote to approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Hampton School Board Hampton School Board and the Seacoast Educational Support Professionals Association covering a three-year period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025 which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing levels:

Year         Estimated Increase

2022-23           $91,187

2023-24           $84,207

2024-25           $70,658

and further raise and appropriate the sum of $91,187 for the 2022-23 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at current staffing levels in accordance with the most recent collective bargaining agreement?  (Majority vote required.)

What it means:  These costs represent the increases negotiated by the School Board and the Seacoast Educational Support Professionals (SESPA), representing 43 paraprofessionals.

Those in favor say: Hampton has a long way to go to catch up to the pay scale in surrounding districts.  These increases would make a start in that direction.

Those against say: No one spoke against this Article at the SAU 90 Deliberative Session.

Fiscal Impact: If Article 2 is approved, it will cause an increase in taxes of $9.35 for a home valued at $400,000.  Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .023 to get your cost.