001Hello, this is Superintendent of Schools Chris Andriski and welcome to the fiscal year 2027 school budget. In this video, you will see the major increases and decreases for the cooperative middle school, exit high school, SECO school of technology and exit adult education. As you know, this budget encompasses all six of our towns in SAU16. We look forward to seeing you at our deliberative session and then again at the vote in March. Thank you for your support and we will see you soon. >> Hello, my name is Jud Du [music] and this is my wife Mandy DQ and we have three children in the SAU [music] 16 school district, two in the high school and one in the middle school. Our children participate in both general education [music] and special education services. So we see firsthand
002how these services work [music] together. Supporting the SAU's programs ensures all students have access to their education benefits [music] the entire community. Strong schools attract families. They support lo local employers. They reduce [music] long-term social services and help build a resilient, capable workforce. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hi, my name is Wyatt Wrathman. I'm a senior here at or at Xer High School and I'm in year two of welding technologies here at SST. And one of the things I love is it introduced me to a field that I never knew exists before and I've already been looking at career [music] opportunities within it. So, I'm very thankful for that. >> And a pitch to him. That one grounded to the third baseman. He scoops that one up, fires the first, and that will do it.
003[cheering] The Exit Blue Hawks are your New Hampshire state champions this year. >> My name is Caroline. I'm a senior here at Exit High School. >> My name [music] is Carson and I'm a freshman here at Exit High School. My name is Lindsay and I'm a junior here at Exit High School. [music] and we wanted to talk about the amazing opportunities that everyone can achieve um through the clubs here at a EHS. For example, um I'm in [music] ASL club where we learn to do ASL and I started Best Buddies for an inclusion club where we can [music] connect with um all of our peers. I am part of student senate where we do fundraisers for the school and we also do pep rallies in the gym. And there are also a bunch of other
004clubs here at Exit [music] High School like robotics and slime club and philosophy club and all that great stuff. Um, I'm a part of the future business leaders of America where we have the opportunity to gain real world business experience in high school and I'm also a part of French club where we celebrate French culture. But the clubs that we listed [music] um isn't just where it ends. There's a variety of clubs here at Exit and there's a little something for everyone. [music] And if you come to exit and you find that the club that you want isn't here, then there's everybody can support you in making that club. The Exit Region Cooperative School District budget is made up of four sections. the general fund, also known as the operating budget, the food service fund,
005which is our meal service program, fed funds, which are our adult education grants, and title, idea, and other grants. This slide shows the change from the current school year to the proposed fiscal year 27 budget for the 2627 school year. The title IDA and other grants were previously appropriated as part of the SAU budget. However, as the school district is the legal owner of the grants, the appropriation is being moved to reflect that the food service and grants are self- sustaining with revenue to offset expense. Therefore, the amount raised in taxation is to support the general fund. Most of the cooperative budget is contractual or mandatory obligations including salary and the associated FICA, New Hampshire retirement, professional development and health benefits as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements, required special education services, student transportation, the
006SAU assessment which includes payroll for all staff, accounts payable, for all expenses of the schools, human resources for all staff and the superintendent of schools, facilities and maintenance costs to support the operation of the schools, the middle school bond, Great Bay Charter School, and everything else in the budget is 5%. In the Exit Region Cooperative School District, we have three employee associations. The Exiter Education Association which serves certified staff such as teachers, school counselors and others requiring lenture. The exit cooperative paraprofessional association serving special education paraprofessionals, teaching assistants at the CE coast school of technology, library assistants and permanent substitutes and the exit area administrators association serving all administrators in the cooperative except principles. All teachers and administrators salaries are being increased per their collective bargaining agreements. This was a negotiation year for the exit
007cooperative paraprofessional association. So that increase will be reflected in a separate warrant article. All non-affiliated staff such as principles, administrative assistants, facilities staff, and food service staff were placed into the budget at a 3% increase. Annually, we receive health and dental increases from our insurance providers. The health insurance rate increases varied per plan from Health Trust. The district's HMO plan includes a 15.5% increase. The district's PO open access plan increased by 14.8%. The district's dental plan includes a 4.4% increase. Over the last nine years, our health insurance plans have increased approximately 6.8%. Regarding FICA and NHRS retirement, both are function of salary. Therefore, when our salary budget goes up or down, so does FICA and retirement. For those that fall under the teacher category, rates are 19.23%. And for other employees, the rates are 12.75%.
008One of the drivers of the school budget this year is the addition of an electrical technologies program at the SECO School of Technology. The future of the Sea Coast economy is being built right now. From residential homes and commercial buildings to electrical vehicle infrastructure, the demand for skills licensed electricians is soaring. Yet, right here in the Sea Coast, we have a critical skills gap. That's why we're proposing a vital investment for the 2627 school year. The creation of an electrical technologies program at the SECO School of Technology. Student needs in SA16 have grown significantly since 2016. The percentage of middle and high school students with IEPs has increased from 12% to over 20% where it is expected to remain for the 2026 2027 school year. National trends reflect similar concerns. In 2023, 40% of adolescents
009reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, 20% considered suicide, and one in six young children had a behavioral, mental, or developmental disorder. As needs have become more complex, costs for contracted services, outofdist placements, and specialized transportation have risen. However, the district has been expanding in district program programming to better meet students needs and therefore there is a decrease in the special education budget. The district must provide IEP services for students attending charter schools. Because charter schools typically use their own specialists, the district collaborates with them to reduce transportation costs. Costs are lower this year due to fewer charter school students. Last year, funds for PAR professionals were redirected to hire more special education teachers and expand co-eing and general education classrooms. This has strengthened school culture, improved student independence, and reduced the need for contracted services for
010the upcoming year. The outofd district placements occur only after substantial inddist supports are attempted. Placements have increased as student needs have become more complex and tuition costs continue to rise. Under IDA, the district must provide an appropriate education which sometimes require specialized programs outside of the dis district district. Strengthening in district services have recently reduced our out of district tuition and transportation costs. Lastly, there is a small increase in the equipment funding at Exer High School. This is to ensure students have the tools they fully need to access school programs and activities. The admin supplies line supports the everyday operational needs of the entire school. Purchases from this category include office supplies, paper, emergency and safety materials and various other supplies needed to keep EHS running smoothly. Last year's actual expenditures in this line were
011higher than the amount originally budgeted. The increase in the current budget reflects a more accurate depiction of the materials and supplies required to support daily school operations. In the professional study line, last year's actual expenditures in this line were higher than originally budgeted. Increasing this line ensures the budget accurately reflects the true cost of supporting our staff as they continue their education, an expected allowance outlined in the certified teaching contracts. This investment strengthens professional practice and directly enhances the quality of instruction and engagement for our students. >> At Cooperative Middle School, several key budget adjustments explain the year-to-year changes. First, our contracted services and guidance have decreased. This reduction reflects the startup nature of our advisory program last year when initial development costs were higher than what is required to sustain the program moving forward.
012Physical education supplies show an increase. This shift is primarily the result of moving a long-standing expense out of the special education budget and placing it appropriately within the PE account. The added funds also support our partnership with UNH's Northeast Passage program, which provides disability awareness experiences in our Aspire PE classes, including adaptive biking, archery, and wheelchair basketball. Finally, curriculum expenses have risen. This includes higher costs for essential instructional tools such as I Ready as well as funding for teacher curriculum development during the summer to ensure materials remain current and aligned with student needs. >> You will see an overspend in contracted services due to the use of third-party custodial services. However, there is a significant reduction in the salaries and benefit lines resulting in a net overall savings. We continue to seek areas where we
013can significantly improve our operational efficiency. Project funds have been requested to make efficiency and comfortability upgrades to our HVAC management systems, continue efforts to maintain the safety and aesthetic of roadways and parking lots, and improve the audio video experience of our auditoriums and performance spaces. This year's cooperative school district technology budget reflects several important adjustments that address critical infrastructure needs and support ongoing instructional and operational priorities. The most substantial change is the replacement of our end of life server infrastructure. The servers have reached the end of their supported life cycle and upgrading them is essential to maintaining a secure and stable server environment. This investment reduces the risk of system failures, improves performance, ensures compatibility with software and services the district relies on. The budget also incorporates the updating of the internal fiber optic network
014to the data closets at the cooperative middle school. Strengthening the school's internal network will enhance reliability, increase bandwidth, and better support the growing technology demands throughout the building. In addition, the implementation costs for the replacement of the student information system are included. This transition will modernize how we manage student data, streamline administrative processes, and improve the user experience. The replacement of two 3D printers used in our steam programs at the cooperative middle school is included in the changes. Updating this equipment will support continued hands-on learning, engineering, and fabrication, ensuring students have access to tools that align with current instructional goals. Finally, the administrative dues and fees line has been adjusted to reflect actual billing patterns. This update provides a more accurate representation of ongoing obligations. Together, these changes reinforce the district's technological foundation, support instructional
015innovation, and ensure the reliability of the systems essential to our daily operations. >> The increase in transportation is the negotiated multi-year contract with first student and changes in student need. Property and liability insurance increases are based on prior year actuals. We have a fixed bond schedule for the middle school renovation and each year we pay a little bit less. All other changes amount to $10,35. When the voters go to the ballot boxes, they will have a choice between the proposed budget we have just presented and the default budget. The default is the prior year budget plus or minus any contractual or mandatory obligations required by law or one-time expenditures in the prior year budget. The exit region cooperative budget is split out by enrollment. This chart shows the breakout for each of the SAU 16
016towns. >> Hi there, I'm Bobby Pace. I'm a senior at Exit High School and also a student at the SECO School of Technology, which is a hands-on training site where students can learn career skills and life skills that will help them in their careers going forward. Coming up, we have some really important budget dates, which is January 15th for our public hearing, February 4th for our deliberation, and March 10th for our final vote. It would be really important if you guys could come out and help support the community in the next few months. Thank you.