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The following links take you to the full text of each warrant article, including voting results (when known), and a commentary to get you thinking about how to vote.

• Article 1 – School Budget
• Article 2 – Teacher pay increase
• Article 3 – Para-professional pay increase
• Article 4 – Hold onto unused tax money
• Article 5 – Funds for bus for PA students
• Article 6 – Other business

Article 1 – School Budget

Shall the Allenstown School District vote to raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant article and other operations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $9,521,193? Should this article be defeated, the operating budget shall be $9,521,193 which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Allenstown School District, or by law, or the governing body may hold one special meeting in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only.

Note: Warrant Article #1 (operating budget article) does not include separate warrant article #2.

School Board recommends approval
Budget Committee does not recommend approval

Commentary: At the Feb. 2nd public session, the government school people seemed to have the upper hand and voted 29-16 to overthrow the slight cut recommended by the Budget Committee. They increased the proposed budget so that it equaled the default budget. So now the warrant article says $9,521,193 for both. No matter which way you vote, you lose. What happened to the concept of giving voters a choice?

At that sparsely attended meeting (less than 100 in attendance and many were out-of-towners), 29 employees and friends of the school dept. essentially told the other 4300 residents that they knew better than the rest of the town about how to spend your tax money.

Virtually all the Town department heads heeded the instructions from the Selectmen last Fall to present department budgets that were at or below default. It seems like the school employees, however, decided that nobody was going to tell them how big their budget could be. Oh, by the way, they also want you to give them raises.

Just as bad was the fact that a great many in attendance were either town officials or employees. Where were the work-a-day voters who didn't necessarily have an axe to grind but who needed to understand the issues they would face on March 12th? It does no good to complain after the election.

Recommendation: No. Even though the numbers are the same either way, express your displeasure by voting No.

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Article 2 – Teacher pay increase

Shall the Allenstown School District vote to approve the cost items set forth in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Allenstown School Board and the Allenstown Teachers Association for the 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 fiscal years which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing level:

Year 2013/14   $78,318
Year 2014/15   $91,140
Year 2015/16   $89,339
Year 2016/17   $89,950

And further raise and appropriate the sum of $78,318 for the 2013/14 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at current staffing levels?

School Board recommends approval. Budget Committee recommends approval. (The Budget Committee was split on this issue.)

Commentary: This is another version of a multi-year contract for school teachers. After the outrageous behavior of school dept. supporters at the Feb. 2nd town meeting, you may not want to support this article.

With a budget still over $9.5 million for a town with only 4300 residents and with the economy still struggling, it will be difficult for unemployed, underemployed, and fixed-income taxpayers to approve any raises.

Recommendation: NO. The behavior of school employees and their supporters at the Feb. 2 deliberative session turned off a lot of voters. In addition, four years of guaranteed raises may be not what taxpayers can afford in this poor economy.

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Article 3 – Para-professional pay increases

Shall the Allenstown School District vote to approve the cost items set forth in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Allenstown School Board and the Allenstown Paraprofessional Association for the 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 fiscal years which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits:

Year 2013/14   $19,370
Year 2014/15   $16,994
Year 2015/16   $ 16,344

And further raise and appropriate the sum of $19,370 for the 2013/14 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits over those of the appropriation at current staffing levels paid in the prior fiscal year?

Commentary: See the preceding warrant article.

Recommendation: NO. Same reasons as for article 2.

School Board recommends approval
Budget Committee recommends/does not recommend approval

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Article 4 – Holding onto unused tax money

Shall the Allenstown School District vote to authorize, indefinitely until rescinded, the retention of year-end unassigned general funds in an amount not to exceed, in any fiscal year, 2.5 percent of the current fiscal year's net assessment, in accordance with RSA 198:4-b, II? Such fund balance retained can only be used to reduce the tax rate or for emergency expenditures and over-expenditures under RSA 32:11 which are approved by the Department of Education.

Commentary: This sounds like the school dept. wants to hold onto any of your tax money they don't spend by the end of the year.

Recommendation: No. We want our tax money back if you don't have to spend it.

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Article 5 – Funds for bus for PA students

Shall the Allenstown School District raise and appropriate the sum of $43,610 for the 2013-2014 school year for the purpose of providing bus transportation for 143 Allenstown resident students attending Pembroke Academy? That sum is equal to $838.65 per week for all 143 Allenstown students. That is $5.86 per student per week to have morning and afternoon transportation. [Petitioned Warrant Article]

School Board Does Not Recommend. Budget Committee Does Not Recommend.

Commentary: Carpooling doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. It's been the common practice for years. Please stop trying to solve problems by spending taxpayer money.

Recommendation: No.

CAUTION: This same article is number 10 on the town warrant. Vote No on that one too.

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Article 6 – Other Business

To transact other business that may legally come before said meeting.

Commentary: This referred to the Feb. 2nd public hearing.

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