STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

MONADNOCK REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

WARRANT FOR 2008-2009

Deliberative session version

To the inhabitants of the Cooperative School District in the Towns of Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Richmond, Roxbury, Sullivan, Swanzey and Troy qualified to vote in District Affairs:

You are hereby notified to meet at the Monadnock Regional Middle/High School on Saturday, the 2^nd day of February, 2008 at 10:00 o’clock in the forenoon for the purpose of hearing an explanation of the following subjects and to carry on any discussion or debate with respect thereto, with said subjects to be open to amendment:

NOTICE: School District Officers will be elected at the second session of the Annual Meeting of the Monadnock Regional School district on March 11^th, 2008 in accordance with the statutory election procedures adopted by a vote of the District on March 11, 1996. The School District Warrant for the election of School District Officials will be posted in accordance with Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 40:13 in each of the District’s member Towns.

The polls will be open to voters in their towns of residence on March 11, as follows:

Fitzwilliam - Town Hall, 11am-7pm

Gilsum – Gilsum Elementary School, 1pm-6pm

Richmond - Veterans Hall, 11am-7pm

Roxbury – Meeting House, 6:30pm-mid-meeting

Sullivan - Town Hall, 11am-7pm

Swanzey - Christian Life Fellowship Church, 10am-7pm

Troy – Troy Elementary School, 10am-7pm

ARTICLE ONE: Shall the Monadnock Regional School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $31,852,333 (The operating budget is $30,882,333. $970,000 is also required for federal grants and nutrition grants that are funded by separate State and Federal revenues)? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $31,115,261 ($30,145,261 plus the $970,000 required for federal grants and nutrition grants that are funded by separate State and Federal revenues), which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Monadnock Regional School District or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. Note: This warrant article (operating budget) does not include appropriations in ANY other warrant articles. The Budget Committee supports this article. The School Board supports this article. (Majority required)

ARTICLE TWO: Shall the voters of the Monadnock Regional School District adopt a school administrative unit budget of $1,842,413, for the forthcoming fiscal year in which $1,259,861 is assigned to the school budget of this school district? This year's adjusted budget of $1,772,572, with $1,212,103 assigned to the school budget of this School District, will be adopted if the article does not receive a majority vote of all the school district voters voting in this school administrative unit. (Majority of all the voters in the entire SAU is required)

ARTICLE THREE: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to approve the cost items included in the three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Monadnock Regional School Board and the Monadnock Education Support Staff Association for the following increases in wages and benefits at the current staffing levels.

The Agreement also includes provisions that require Support Staff to pay more for their health insurance. Currently, the District pays ninety percent (90%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan. Over the course of the Agreement, the District will pay eighty-eight percent (88%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan in the first year, eighty-five percent (85%) in the second year, and eighty percent (80%) in the final year of the Agreement.

The estimated increase in the costs for wages and benefits under the collective bargaining agreement are as follows:

Year Estimated Increase:

2008-09 $ 250,432 Salaries

$ 39,065 Wage-driven benefits (Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

$ 23,642 Health insurance –sharing to 88/12 (POS driver)/$2,500 cash-back

$ 10,000 Other contract benefits (life, disability, and retirement benefits)

$ 323,139 Total

2009-10 $ 279,163 Salaries

$ 40,374 Wage-driven benefits(Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 62,037) Health insurance –sharing to 85/15 (POS driver)/$2,500 cash-back

$ 257,500 Total

2010-11 $ 222,168 Salaries

$ 33,326 Wage-driven benefits(Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 103,395) Health insurance –sharing to 80/20 (POS driver)/$2,500 cash-back

$ 152,099 Total

And further to raise and appropriate the sum of $323,139 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional cost attributable to the increase in wages and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE FOUR: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to approve the cost items included in the four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the Monadnock Regional School Board and the Monadnock District Education Association for the following increases in wages and benefits at the current staffing levels:

The Agreement includes provisions that eliminate the early retirement program, established in 2000, over the course of the next three (3) years by reducing the number of employees eligible to participate in the program and the length of time for which they can participate. The early retirement program will not be open to any new participants after June 30, 2011. The existing participants in the early retirement program will be fully compensated and the program will cease to exist by June 30, 2015.

The elimination of early retirement will result in a reduction of cost over the term of the Agreement.

The Agreement also includes provisions that require Teachers to pay more for their health insurance. Currently, the District pays ninety percent (90%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan. Over the course of the Agreement, the District will pay eighty-eight percent (88%) of the cost of the Blue Choice Plan in the first year, eighty-four percent (84%) in the second year, eighty-two percent (82%) in the third year, and eighty percent (80%) in the final year of the Agreement.

The Agreement also contains an “evergreen” clause, which means that the term of the agreement, if approved, would continue while the parties negotiate a successor agreement after 2012. This means that certain cost items, like step increases, would continue during future negotiations. The District estimates that the average cost of a step to be approximately $1,145 per year of experience. The cost of all steps during the last year of the agreement is estimated to be $226,700.

The estimated increase in the costs for wages and benefits under the collective bargaining agreement are as follows:

Year Estimated Increase:

2008-09 $ 492,000 Salaries

$ 63,000 Longevity Payments

$ 52,237 Regular Retirement

$ 91,085 Wage-driven benefits (Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 18,016) Health insurance sharing to 88/12 (POS driver)/$2500 cash-back

$ 680,306 Total

2009-10 $ 358,550 Salaries

$ 0 Longevity Payments

$ 0 Regular Retirement

$ 53,783 Wage-driven benefits (Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 96,033) Health insurance sharing to 84/16 (POS driver)/$2500 cash-back

$ 316,300 Total

2010-11 $ 349,200 Salaries

$ 50,000 Longevity Payments

$ 0 Regular Retirement

$ 59,880 Wage-driven benefits (Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 48,016) Health insurance sharing to 82/18 (POS driver)/$2500 cash-back

$ 411,064 Total

2011-12 $ 379,800 Salaries

$ 50,000 Longevity Payments

$ 0 Regular Retirement

$ 64,470 Wage-driven benefits (Social Security, NHRS, W/C, etc.)

($ 48,016) Health insurance sharing to 80/20 (POS driver)/$2500 cash-back

$ 446,254 Total

And further to raise and appropriate the sum of $680,306 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional cost attributable to the increase in wages and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the 2007-08 fiscal year. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE FIVE: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $400,000 for repair of health and safety related maintenance items throughout the District’s school buildings. This is a Special Warrant Article in accordance with RSA 32:3 VI. This will be a non-lapsing warrant article per RSA 32:7 and will not lapse until the maintenance projects are complete or June 30, 2012 whichever is earlier. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE SIX: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $123,000 for the purpose of roof repairs at the Monadnock Regional Middle/High School, the Mt. Caesar Elementary School, and the Wilcox Building. This is a Special Warrant Article in accordance with RSA 32:3 VI. This will be a non-lapsing warrant article per RSA 32:7 and will not lapse until the roof repairs are complete or June 30, 2012 whichever is earlier. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE SEVEN: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $0 to be added to the 2003 School Building Maintenance Expendable Trust previously established by Article #3 of the 2003-04 Warrant. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE EIGHT: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to establish a capital reserve fund under the provisions of RSA 35:1-b for the purpose of funding building construction and renovation projects within the District, to be known as the 2009 School Building Capital Reserve. (Majority vote required). This article has NO tax impact.

ARTICLE NINE: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to raise and appropriate up to $500,000 to be placed in the 2009 School Building Capital Reserve Fund created under Article #8 of the 2009 Warrant, with such amount to be funded from the proceeds of the sale of the Surry school as a result of the withdrawal of the Town of Surry from the Monadnock Regional School District. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required). This article has NO tax impact.

ARTICLE TEN: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to discontinue the Emergency Notification System Expendable Trust Fund created in Article #11 of the 2006-07 Warrant. Said funds, with accumulated interest to date of withdrawal, are to be transferred to the school district’s general fund. This is a Special Warrant Article in accordance with RSA 32:3 VI. (Majority vote required). This article has NO tax impact. About $95 is left in the account.

ARTICLE ELEVEN: To see if the Monadnock Regional School District will vote to establish a non-lapsing athletics revolving fund, in accordance with RSA 194:3-c to be funded by receipts at athletic events and known as the 2009 Athletics Revolving Fund, and, further, to raise and appropriate up to $5,000 for the purpose of supporting athletic programs within the District, said amount to be withdrawn from the revolving fund and disbursed monthly as needed. The School Board supports this appropriation. The Budget Committee supports this appropriation. (Majority vote required).

ARTICLE TWELVE: Shall the Monadnock School District receive and approve the reports of the agents, auditors, committees and officers chosen as printed and distributed in the Annual Report?

ARTICLE THIRTEEN: To listen to opinions of a purely advisory nature with regards to the conduct of school affairs for the ensuing year.

ARTICLE FOURTEEN: Shall the voters of the Monadnock Regional School District vote to rescind the School Budget Committee in accordance to provisions stipulated in RSA 195:12-a and RSA 32:14 (V)? By Petition.

ARTICLE FIFTEEN: Do the voters/parents of the Monadnock Regional School District want the sixth grade students moved from the individual elementary schools (Cutler, Emerson, Gilsum, or Troy) to the Middle School/High School facility? By Petition.

By the Monadnock School Board: Given under our hands and seal this 15^th day of January, 2008, Monadnock Regional School Board:

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Copy of notice – attest: __________________________