Concord Taxpayers News

As many of you have probably already read in the Concord Monitor or OurConcord.com, the Concord School District will soon be making a decision on its elementary school consolidation plan.

The plan involves consolidating eight elementary schools to four, at a price tag of about $67 million (plus interest, for a total of somewhere between $100 million and $124 million). There is no consensus in the community about this plan but actually, a great divide between different interests.

Because there are many unanswered questions, the Concord Taxpayers Association has put together a forum to try and educate the public about the plan. The forum will be held on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Draft’s newly renovated upstairs meeting room at 67 S. Main St. School officials will be on hand to make a presentation about the plan and will be available to answer any and all questions you may have.

In addition, because we are getting the room for free, please consider having dinner or drinks at the Draft before or after the meeting. Many of us will be socializing afterwards too. We hope that you’ll attend.

Related articles

Here are some online articles that cover the issue of the elementary school consolidation plan:

School Architects Release Schematic
Concord Monitor
Concord Monitor

Bond hearings

The School District will be holding a number of meetings about the bonding of its $67 million consolidation scheme. Here are some dates where members of the public can attend and express their concerns or feelings about the project and its costs:

Monday, Dec. 7, 6:00 PM – Public hearing on the bond to finance elementary consolidation plan at 16 Rumford St.

Monday, Dec. 21, 6:00 PM – Special board meeting to vote on elementary designs at 16 Rumford St.

Monday, Dec. 22, 6:00 PM – Special board meeting to vote on bond at 16 Rumford St.

As many of you may already know, CTA co-founder Chuck Douglas is a member of the Legislature’s commission that has been studying what to do about the school board charter. Over the past few months, the commission has been meeting. It will hear recommendations, hold a vote, and render its decision to the Legislature on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the school administration office at 16 Rumford St.

The commission will be deciding one of three options:

1) Not to change things and allow the Legislature to continue to run the school board charter (This option is not likely since most people realize that the Legislature shouldn’t be controlling the school charter and legislative leaders want out of Concord’s business too).

2) Recommend to the Legislature that a charter commission be created to study what to do with the charter (This seems to be favored by those members connected to the school system since it will extend the process into 2011 or 2013 without any changes to the charter).

3) Recommend to the Legislature that a 49B amendment be added to the charter which will give residents the ability to change the charter via initiative petition (This is the proposal put forth by Douglas and is supported by some members).

After last Thursday’s meeting, there is clearly some push back from members of the commission about whether or not Concord citizens should be able to control their school board charter via initiative petition. We really need members of the community to reach out to commission members and tell them what they think is best.

Please send notes of concern to State Rep. Rick Watrous at scout2803@comcast.net, and he can then pass it on to the commission members.

The new School District Charter Commission will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Chuck Douglas, the co-founder of the Concord Taxpayers Association, is one of the members of the commission. The commission will study whether or not changes need to be made in the School District charter. It will meet over a period of weeks and then file a report with the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2009. The public is encouraged to attend the meetings.

Commission members include:

Rep. Rick Watrous
Rep. Beverly Ferrante
Sens. Sylvia Larsen
Kassandra Ardinger
Clint Cogswell
Mayor Jim Bouley
Rep. Stephen Shurtleff
Charles Douglas III Esq.
Maureen Redmond-Scura
Charles Russell Esq.
Wilbur “Bill” Glahn
Anthony “Skip” Tenczar