School Board Takes Vote to Put Public 'At Ease'

The Winnacunnet School Board formally voted Wednesday to affirm a stance they took at the school deliberative session earlier this month, unanimously promising to maintain funding for Winnacunnet's Jobs for America's Graduates and adult high school programs, according to the Hampton Union.

The paper has reported that Chris Muns made the motion Wednesday in order for he and the rest of the board to put "everybody's mind at ease."

Students and residents made strong statements at deliberative session about the need to maintain full funding for both programs and the need to continue the administration of both JAG and night school as-is. Those remarks lead voters to restore $80,000 to the budget, with residents calling for those funds to be used to protect the aforementioned programs.

The school board isn't required to spend that $80,000 on JAG and adult education, although board members have agreed that the public needs to see that the programs will receive full funding and support in the 2013-14 school year.

"We're reacting to what the public wanted and until there's evidence to change that, we're doing what was given to us because we represent the public," said School Board Chairman Wayne Skoglund about Wednesday's vote, according to the Hampton Union.