Aldermen vote against putting school referendum on the ballot

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Voters will not be asked to make a decision on the autonomy of the Manchester School District this fall.

In an 8-5 vote, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to receive and file a referendum that would place a question to voters regarding the complete independence of the Manchester School District from the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA), effectively killing the proposal for the near future.

If it had been passed by voters, the referendum would have modified the city’s charter, removing the ability of the BMA to approve the budget of Manchester School District, which is currently submitted by the Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC), the district’s governing body. The charter amendment would have also removed Manchester’s Mayor as the chair of BOSC, allowed the BOSC to set its own tax rates and changed the name of the BOSC to the Manchester School Board.

In a special meeting for public comment prior to the BMA’s decision, members of the public were mostly opposed to putting the question before voters, citing the BMA’s role as a monetary check and balance on the BOSC.

During the special meeting Rich Girard, one of the commissioners that reviewed the original form of the proposal in past years, noted that this proposal was like one that was shot down two years ago.

Girard also criticized the proposal for being deceptive in various ways.

“Manchester is one city and should only have one governing body to balance the competing needs and priorities of its taxpayers,” he said.

There were also people speaking in support of advancing the measure to voters, believing that school issues are too complex for Aldermen to keep up with for just a few weeks each year during budget hearings in addition to their other duties and that the change would mirror the majority of other New Hampshire communities.

“We believe that the proposed (charter) amendments to be in accordance with the intent of the community driven plan for the future of Manchester’s schools, shaped by 10,000 residents and adopted as these Manchester School District’s plan in 2020,” said Manchester Proud spokesperson Lauren Boisvert.

The motion to receive and file the proposal, made by At-Large Alderman Joseph Kelly Levasseur, was opposed by Kevin Cavanaugh (Ward 1), Will Stewart (Ward 2), Pat Long (Ward 3), Tony Sapienza (Ward 5) and Bill Barry (Ward 10). Christine Fajardo (Ward 4) was absent.