Exeter Archives - Granite Grok

BANFIELD: From SAU16/Exeter to SAU92/Hinsdale

May 21, 2026 Ann Marie Banfield

Problems Persist for Superintendent David Ryan Public trust in schools depends on accountability, transparency, and a culture where parents, teachers, and students can raise concerns without fear of retaliation. When that trust breaks down, families leave, teachers resign, and communities fracture. New Hampshire has now seen similar concerns emerge in multiple school districts connected to … Read more

The Conservative Hippie

May 18, 2024 Op-Ed

Many, many years ago, I was working 50 to 70 hours a week, keeping track of politics, contacting legislators, e-mailing testimony to Concord, and writing two columns in The Exeter-NewsLetter. There were nights I was up until midnight to meet deadlines. Then I realized, being in Exeter, I was in a small minority fighting a giant.

Cartoon school library book SAU 16 domanitrix

SAU16: Pornography and Grooming Students [Content Warning]

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 Ann Marie Banfield

It wasn’t that long ago when Exeter’s school counselor Kristie Torbick pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14 year old student.

SAU16/Exeter: Gender Clinic or School District?

March 22, 2023 Ann Marie Banfield

Is it any wonder that enrollments are declining, and parents are looking for alternative schools for their children? Is it any wonder, that parents are removing their children from the public schools and looking for alternative schools focused on academics versus social engineering?

David Ryan’s Departure from SAU16/Exeter: Tips on Hiring a New Superintendent

November 15, 2024June 23, 2022 Ann Marie Banfield

Good Superintendents are hard to find, and yet, they are the leaders of our schools. We can learn a lot from the problems that plagued SAU16/Exeter school district under the leadership of David Ryan- so let’s start by looking at what parents can do when it’s time to hire a new Superintendent.

Exeter Democrats and Their BIG Math Problem Plaguing SAU16/Exeter

May 2, 2022May 2, 2022 Ann Marie Banfield

Exeter Democrats decided to protest Commissioner Frank Edelblut today on the streets in Exeter. It seems that the Democrats who reside there have decided to go after the Commissioner since he dared to expose the bias and political indoctrination happening at some of the schools in New Hampshire.

In this picture you can see Patrick O’Day (far left) who serves on the Exeter Elementary School Board. He was was re-elected this year but claimed to be nonpolitical. Well that doesn’t appear to be true.

Exeter, We Have a Problem

February 25, 2022February 24, 2022 Op-Ed

Mr. Neil Bleicken, a five-year member of the Exeter School Board, wrote an opinion piece titled, “Keep partisan politics out of our excellent Exeter schools.” Susan Shanelaris and Anne Sorber, co-founders of the grass-roots ExeterPACT, using state data as their source, responded with a letter-to-the-editor titled “SAU16—The Numbers Don’t Lie.”

Incompetence and Segregation at SAU16/Exeter Deliberative Session

February 6, 2022 Ann Marie Banfield

Adult residents in SAU16 were greeted to signs like these when they arrived at the Deliberative Session. Masked residents parked, entered the building, and were seated in one area of the building. Unmasked residents were required to park, enter the building, and were seated in a separate room where they could not be seen.

Will SAU16/Exeter DEIJ Director Support the BLM Boycott of White Owned Businesses?

December 3, 2021December 2, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

A parent from SAU16/Exeter posted the following screen shot, asking if Andres Mejia, the DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) Director, will be supporting this boycott since he is a member of the Seacoast Black Lives Matter.

SAU16/Exeter: Court Costs Piling Up, What are They Trying to Hide?

November 25, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

Seacoast Online is reporting that SAU16 has expended more than $28,000 in legal costs in less than six months. I’ve been wondering how much money they were spending on legal services to defend all of the court cases filed in this district.

Brentwood School Board Member Inserts Her Foot In Her Mouth, Again!

November 9, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

Letty Bedard, a member of the Brentwood (SAU16) School Board, has made some pretty inflammatory comments. However, at a Selectmen’s meeting the other night, she chose to chastise a selectman because a picture he took made its way to a Granite Grok post.

DEIJ Meeting with NH Listens in Exeter SAU 16

SAU16/Exeter: Now Hiding Critical Race Theory Meetings From the Public

November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

At a time when SAU16 administrators should be focused on transparency and building trust, they are doing the opposite. Last night SAU16 invited the public to attend a presentation on DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice).

Another LAWSUIT in SAU16/Exeter: What Are They INTENTIONALLY Hiding From Parents?

October 5, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

Another lawsuit was filed against SAU16/Exeter’s superintendent David Ryan. So far I’ve counted four lawsuits in the last few months. The first involved a teacher who removed a student from class when he wore a Thin Blue Line Flag during a day when students could wear flags that represented their views.

SAU16/EXETER: Setting Precedent for Mask Mandates Forever?

September 11, 2021September 11, 2021 Ann Marie Banfield

Today kicked off a lawsuit aimed at SAU16, and their mask mandates that would require masks on all children if the number of cases of COVID 19 rise to a certain level. Several parents in the district filed suit, arguing that the decision to mask a child should be left up to parents.