CLAREMONT — Residents easily approved the establishment of a special education trust fund and the appropriation of $650,000 for new and expanded special education programs in a voice vote Thursday night.
The money comes from roughly half of the $1.3 million in unanticipated revenue the school district received from the state in the most recent state budget. The rest of the money will become part of the general fund revenue and used for tax relief.
About 80 people were in attendance and several spoke for and against the proposal. Supporters said the money will allow the school district to educate more special needs students locally, maintain greater control over programs, save money and in the long run likely create a new source of tuition revenue.
Opponents argued that the money approved by the Legislature was a restoration of the stabilization grant and is supposed to be used only for tax relief.
Walt Stapleton, a Republican state representative from Claremont, said if students are continually sent out of district it creates an “open-ended deficit” but keeping more of them in their home communities with expanded programing has a number of benefits.
“It will help the kids, stop the loss and create a new revenue stream for the city,” Stapleton said.
But resident Cynthia Howard said the appropriation will increase the budget and tax rate with more personnel.
“I’m opposed to this because I think the money should come back to the taxpayers, the entire $1.3 million,” Howard said during the special school district meeting in the Stevens High School auditorium.
Resident Marie Lozito also urged the body to reject the article and have the school board put it on as a warrant article for the annual school district meeting in March, otherwise they might be “jeopardizing” more tax relief from the state.
“I’d like to see taxpayers get a break for a change,” Lozito said.
Most who spoke supported the appropriation that Superintendent Mike Tempesta said would be used primarily to expand a new elementary school program serving special needs students and create another program for autistic students, which he said would save more than $500,000 by keeping students in the district.
School officials said several times that there are clear advantages to reducing out-of-district placements.
“We did not do this capriciously,” said School Board Chairman Frank Sprague. “We gave it a lot of thought. We can not only take care of our own kids but also establish a funding source.”
Newly elected City Councilor Deb Matteau said the benefits are clear and dividing the money between programs and tax relief is a “fair compromise.”
“To me it looks like in the long run it will save money and be better for kids in the community,” Matteau said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
