School Addition Comes In at 32% Savings [VIDEO]

A big amendment was made Tuesday during the annual Hampton School District deliberative session that should significantly increase the chances of an already favorable warrant article's passage.

The 30 or so registered voters present Tuesday night almost unanimously approved Hampton School Board member Rusty Bridle's motion to reduce the dollar amount of the proposed Centre School addition (Article 4) from $859,900 to $588,600 — a roughly 31.5 percent decrease prompted by new firm maximum costs outlined in the project's proposed construction contract.

The district had called for an appropriation of up to $859,900 in Article 4 as officials waited to get a bid-confirmed construction price. A cost-cutting amendment was expected to come on the project Tuesday.

Only one resident questioned Tuesday whether the two-story addition — which would square off and complete a previous addition in addition to giving the preschool program and music programs much-needed space — is in the best interests of the community, raising concerns about flat enrollment projections as well as major building needs at Marston School and Hampton Academy.

The video attached to this story highlights some of the man's concerns and features a rebuttal from School Administrative Unit 90 Superintendent Kathleen Murphy. Images of the presentation that outlined the actual costs of the project are also attached to this story.

Tuesday's deliberative session lasted roughly half an hour. The night featured little debate, although Hampton Budget Committee member Mark McFarlin did call on voters not to approve the $39,500 tuition contribution to Sacred Heart School outlined in Article 6.

McFarlin said it no longer makes sense to continue paying Sacred Heart for child benefit services because Hampton could reabsorb the 39 students who attend the private school back into the SAU 90 system at no cost to SAU 90.

"I have a hard time thinking this is proper," said McFarlin, repeating a stance he took at a recent budget committee meeting while calling for documentation indicating whether the 39 students are receiving services at Sacred Heart that they wouldn't receive in SAU 90. "Is that what the money is going there for? Without accounting from the school, how can we hand this money over? This is just costing us money."

The Centre School addition was the only article changed Tuesday on the six-article 2013 Hampton school warrant, which includes a proposed $19,289,990 operating budget — a budget that represents a roughly 18-cent tax rate increase for every $1,000 of assessed value — and the $19,276,594 default budget.

SAU 90 Business Administrator Nathan Lunney said the majority of the proposed $504,387, or 2.87 percent, increase in operating costs is due to increased retirement contributions downshifted by the state as well increases outlined in town meeting-approved union contracts.

There also is a $655,000 budget increase compared to the fiscal year 2013 budget — $18.13 million — because the state requires districts to include the amount they plan to spend on grants in the bottom line. Lunney said, though, that the $655,000 is completely offset by grant revenue and shouldn't be considered as an "apples to apples" comparison to the rest of the budget increases.

Voters will now decide the fate of the 2013 warrant articles at the polls on Tuesday, March 12, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Winnacunnet High School dining hall.