My name is Wesley Smallidge and I am running for the school board in the governor Wentworth regional school district because we need to do better. As a Kingswood graduate and lifelong Wolfeboro resident, I am concerned about what I see happening with our schools. We need to do better as a community because our children are falling behind academically.
You will not hear that at any school board meeting, and if you attended the Tuftonboro Candidate’s Night, all you heard were excuses.
Why is it that district proficiency has fallen in English/reading from 54% of students being proficient in 2019 to 51% in 2023? Is it acceptable that 57% of district students are not proficient in math and 63% are not proficient in science? Why are 67% of Tuftonboro Central students proficient in reading with only 58% at Crescent Lake and 29% at Ossipee Central? Why does the new district Strategic Plan wait until 2027-28 to increase proficiency rates, placing academics as the last priority?
We want to thank Wesley Smallidge for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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Governor Wentworth Regional School District spends over $22,000 per pupil, and according to information provided to the state, 60% of that is spent on classroom instruction. More than half of our property taxes are spent on education funding, yet we hear that more money is needed for our schools to improve. Every year the budget increases as enrollment and proficiency decrease.
NH has a constitutional duty to fund and provide an adequate education; the school board has a duty to ensure it is provided. I do not have all the answers, but I guarantee that I will ask the necessary questions to get those answers. And parents, you will not have to file right-to-know requests to get answers. Call me, and I will get you the answers.
The status quo will be a thing of the past if you elect me to the school board.
