1. Sanborn Regional School District
SRSD Proposed Operating Budget
&
NKTA Suggested Savings and Alternative Budget
The Sanborn District School Budget being proposed is a 9.9% increase over what was spent last year for a total of $35.4 Million Dollars including the teacher contract. The school costs make up the vast majority of our property taxes. The Newton-Kingston Taxpayers urge you to get involved, because we have found excess spending that should be eliminated.
On Wednesday, February 3 at 7 PM, Newton and Kingston voters will meet for an old-fashioned New England-style town meeting. Only those present that night decide on the amount of the school budget for next year.
February 3 is an important date. Democracy needs all of us to be involved. In past years, the budget number has been decided at this meeting by very few voters.

2. Mill Rate of Property Taxes- $ per thousand of assessed value
Property Taxes in Newton and Kingston
Our property taxes are high and getting higher. They are a lot higher than neighboring communities. We have to ask if this is just a part of living in Kingston and Newton, or is there something that can and should be done about it? Obviously, looking at this chart, the schools are the biggest portion of our tax bill by far.
Mill Rate of Property Taxes- $ per thousand of assessed value

3. Up 9.9%
The School District actually spent about $32.2 Million last year. The amount budgeted for the current year is $2 Million more, and the amount proposed by the District for next year is one point two Million on top of that, including the teacher contract. This is $3.2 Million more than what was actually spent as of 8 months ago. That is a 9.9% increase in 2 years.
The Taxpayers Association had to ask why. If we need all that spending for the best education for the children of the community, then we have to pay it, and gladly. But if there is excess spending in the budget, then we should NOT be paying for it.

4. +$1.9M
+6%
We scrutinized the budget and the line items over the past year. No one is proposing any cuts in spending- not the Administration, not the Budget Committee, and not the Taxpayers Association. The Taxpayers Association is proposing an increase of $1.9 Million more than what was spent as of 8 months ago. The budget we propose for next year is $34.1 Million.
Some parents are afraid that if we do not pour more money into the schools, the children will suffer. Some are saying that any attempt to reduce the budget is anti-schools. That is not the case. NKTA wants the schools to improve, and to graduate students with competencies, even superior achievement, that prepares them for life. We want to pay our valued teachers well-the ones who most impact our children. We retain the full technology proposal from the Administration. We want investment in our physical plant. We want to maintain and grow co-curricular activities. We want to add a needed teacher at Bakie. What we do not want is to spend money unnecessarily, any more than any of us do in our households. There is excess spending in the schools that can and should be eliminated. This proposed budget would give an almost flat tax for next year, and would result in taxes 4% less than with the budget proposed by Administration.

5. One Reason We Are Concerned
This is a chart of Department of Education information that got us looking…The cost per student for comparably-sized schools and for our nearest Districts are much lower than ours. With declining enrollments, the Administration’s budget proposal for next year will result in an increase, with all costs per student including the new teacher contract, of 15% over a two-year span. We found over $2 Million in excess spending that could be eliminated – and important to most of us, without any harm to the delivery of learning to the children of our communities. We think a lot of the excess has creeped in over time and needs to be gradually removed to right-size our costs for our students. We focused on $1.3 Million in reductions to the Superintendent’s proposed budget, for a budget that represents a 6% increase from what was spent as of 8 months ago.
Source: NH Department of Education

6. Strategy for Budget Restraint: Spend More, Wisely- Not Just More!
Attend Deliberative Session
February 3, 7 PM, Sanborn High School
Vote on March 8
Together, We CAN Make A Difference!
We want to Spend More, Wisely, Not Just More. The most immediate and most important step is to attend the Deliberative Session, Wednesday February Only those physically present can vote. Please plan on February 3, 7 PM at the High School Auditorium in Kingston. In past years, there has been very low attendance, and the budgets have been decided by very few, very vocal voters who think the only way for the education to improve is to throw more money at the problem. These are the same people who decry anyone wanting to find excess spending in the budgets as being against education. That is not the case. The democratic process needs your participation to work! To be able to pay our teachers more, to be able to better address our deficiencies, we need to eliminate the waste and we need your help.
Then get out and vote March 8.
We can make a difference together.