Funding for 'Luxury' Fails at School Deliberative Session

The North Hampton School budget will move forward to the March 12 town meeting without a full-time psychologist after a motion to restore $70,000 to keep the position full-time — which was cut in favor of a part-time guidance counselor and contracted services — failed by about a 35-to-5 margin at the annual school district deliberative session Tuesday, according to the Hampton Union.

The Hampton Union has reported that the position — reportedly deemed a "luxury" by NHS Principal Peter Sweet — was cut earlier in the budget process to make the proposed operating budget more palatable. The overall budget has since been trimmed to $8,042,753 — or roughly 1.9 percent higher than the current year — and that figure and the rest of the warrant articles went unchanged Tuesday despite calls for the restoration of the full-time psychologist.

"When we're spending money to increase security from outside the school, I think it's also worthwhile to work organically from inside, as well," resident and parent Barbara Havey reportedly said Tuesday, referencing the security upgrades outlined in a different warrant article that will appear on the town meeting warrant.

The North Hampton town meeting polls will be open at NHS from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12.