Article : # 6 Kensington School Audit
Article: #5 School Budget Cap to $28,500 per student + plus inflation
Article : #19 Citizen Task Force find saving in School spending.
My response and focus is on the Facts, Transparency and Accountability for all Kensington citizens, to be informed and have a voice in how precious tax dollars and funding are allocated. I am pro public education. Information presented is from the NH Dept/ of Edu. As well as a recent Right To Know Request for contractual information.
Warrant Article #6
The School Board is the fiduciary for $ 4.5 million of tax payer 2025-26 funds. A proper asset and liability’s audit is required when any company / business (especially when run by volunteers, with no background in-depth financial or contract matters) are directly responsible and accountable for millions of dollars of community funds . ( *This standard type of a Financial Report audit would also protect the responsibilities and liabilities of our School Board members)
For over the last 5 years Kensington budget numbers or balances have NOT been confirmed through a in-depth 3rd party “Financial Report” of statements/ audits, as is best practices in all other SAU 16 towns.
Kensington school board chooses to use an “Elected Citizen Report Audit” procedure. This is only tasked with cash flows review ~ does not identify and track long term liabilities, pension costs, other obligations or assets.
This review recently found $86,000 unaccounted for nearly two years, before it was corrected. At the January 6, 2025 school board meeting, I pressed the board to fund a 3rd party Financial Report audit of its 4.5 million budget ( cost was estimated at .22 % of budget = $10,000).They declined to vote on it.
Warrant Article #5 – School budget cap to $28,500 per student plus inflation (143 students) that simply resets us back to 2024 budget. This reset will help us start to bend this out of control administrative cost curve, and encourage new ideas in savings.
Tax payer spending for 2025-26 is at $31,500 per student ( $459 per month cost / per household) increasing by $ 2,000 per student over 2024, with small class sizes (14.5 students per Kensington). Yet student overall performance has fallen to just about 54% in Math
.(see NH Dept Of Edu) – (*UNH instate tuition $19,100. Not comparison /Reference only)
Contracts till 2026: Kensington currently has #17 teachers, = Avg./9 students per teacher. Avg. Salaries = $ 86,000 for 185 days of work not including Benefits ( NH State avg. 69,000 per yr.) . It appears by a recent “right to know contract request” taxpayers cover 88% of all health insurances costs, along, 100 % of dental, disability, and life insurance coverage. (Option/ add family members)
It appears by documents provided the Administrative Principle salary is $120,664. Taxpayers cover up to 95% of her health care costs with the ability to add # 2 family members, 100 % dental, disability, and life insurance coverage ( * Note: largest increase in 2025-26 budget was 38% = $179,000 for insurance costs.)
2025-26 Budget Background
To be clear as citizens we vote only on the amount of school budget raised .
We have no control how a school budget is spent or allocated once you approve.
For example when a budgeted funds have a surplus ( as it has been since at least 4 years), it may be used in other areas or line items not indicated in the budget. Or flow into Trust Fund Warrant Articles, we have already funded thru taxes the previous year. ( approx $ 177,000 to date ) These Trust funds currently have no top funding limits. I believe this insures no money is ever sent back to the citizen tax payers, as well as helps grow the budget for next year, as it is not based on a zero balance start.
Warrant Article 19
The Citizen Volunteer Task Force Warrant is to try to find solution’s to responsible tax and school funding issues in a compassionate and caring way. It does not need to be approved by a town endorsement in order for us to move forward. (No cost to town) Our authority and civic duty comes from Part I Art: 8 and 38 of the NH Constitution. I sincerely hope only that those not steeped in politics, who want to truly find solutions and creative ideas – join us.
One possible solution?
Kensington currently has (15 kids per class ) invite East Kingston ( 8 kids per class) to join us. Initial estimates look like it could possibly save Kensington tax payers 25 – 35% reduction in Kensington school costs! As well as provide a significant savings to East Kingston. (Accomplished with just #23 kids per class – not uncommon in Nh. – now or in the past )
Sadly continued attempts upon my character- assassination by some, or questioning my motives as well as those volunteers joining this team to support/ rebuild public education, will not change these facts.
*(Warrant Article 20 is unrelated to school; Request to Moderator to hand count” a citizen’s vote if requested to do so. Some citizens are mistrusting of machines in light of the history of proven faults and hacks. They simply believe it is their constitutional duty and right to have their vote hand- counted.
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We’d like to thank Al Brandano for this Op-Ed. As a reminder, authors’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com
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