Participants
Everyone the recording shows taking part, as named in the project's dialogue file. Where the dialogue file leaves a voice Unidentified, this page does too.
| Name | Role | Participation |
|---|
| Brian Rapp | Chair | Presided; volunteered again for the bargaining subcommittee (2:41:18); asked for a security plan "like we had with technology" (2:32:59); asked whether staff contracts had gone out (2:50:55). |
| Chris Irish | Vice chair | Asked that the chair or superintendent call Claremont's representatives on the board's behalf (0:38:04); pressed on where past technology and security money went (2:28:45 to 2:29:48); announced a recreation committee meeting (2:53:31). |
| Michelle Pierce | Member | Asked whether members would see the food service proposals before the presentations (0:24:34); began a motion on the kindergarten bill that was not taken (0:44:21); announced a Heart of Claremont project in citizens' comments (0:56:07). The dialogue file also places the Youth and Government co-advisor's words in this voice cluster; those rows are relabeled to Jill Chastain. |
| Frank Sprague | Member | Commented on the Bridge to Success courses (0:11:37) and the NEASC report (0:30:53); moved the field trip (2:39:43) and the calendar (2:50:43); named for the bargaining subcommittee (2:41:33); spoke on cameras and school climate from his work in Newport (2:33:44). |
| Patrick Adrian | Member | Asked when the kindergarten vote had been scheduled (0:41:06); asked the mayor about a visit by the governor (0:52:25); asked that principals present building needs (1:45:12); spoke on technology and communication skills (2:11:26). |
| Rebecca Zullo | Member | Spoke on technology and human connection in the classroom, as an occupational therapist (2:25:34); asked what classroom tools were needed (2:26:09); spoke in favor of the calendar's early release days (2:48:07 onward). |
| Michael Petrin | Member | No row of the dialogue file is attributed to him, and the roll call does not name him audibly. Attendance not established from the recording. |
| Middleton McGoodwin | Superintendent, SAU 6 | Amended the agenda (0:01:11); superintendent's report on the resilience film, River Valley Bridge to Success, the high school scheduling committee, extended learning, NEASC accreditation and the full-day kindergarten bill (0:06:31 to 0:44:43); presented the resignation, field trip, bargaining request, June meeting date and calendar (2:37:45 to 2:47:36). |
| Michael O'Neill | Business administrator, SAU 6 | Explained the food service RFP timing (0:22:09); presented the capital improvement plan and roofing schedule (1:35:25 to 1:51:35). Spelling follows the project roster. |
| Cory LeClair | Assistant Superintendent, SAU 6 (attribution medium) | Spoke on the capital-needs process (1:48:30), technology expectations for teachers (2:17:19 onward), calendar alignment with Newport (2:48:53) and staff contracts (2:50:58). Not named on this recording; the attribution report rates the identification medium. |
| Josh Malloy | Director of instructional technology | Presented the technology budget briefing (1:31:24 to 2:31:49): the technology plan "expired in 2016" (2:05:49); wireless access points "in each room" (2:15:29); the security warrant article (2:31:24). |
| Charlene Lovett | Mayor of Claremont; citizens' comments | Invited by the superintendent to speak on contacting Concord (0:39:08); in citizens' comments, celebrated the accreditation (0:45:46) and asked members to sign cards supporting SB 247 on lead poisoning (0:49:19 to 0:52:07); reported on inviting the governor (0:53:42). |
| Marion Lovett | Student representative | Student report (0:03:17); spoke on Youth and Government and the U.S. Senate Youth program (1:22:31). Named "Marion Lovett" in this dialogue file; the May 17 file names the student representative "Mary Ann Lovett" (the roster leaves the spelling unresolved). |
| Nancy Lewis | Stevens High School social studies teacher | Presented the Saint-Gaudens partnership (0:57:57) and Youth and Government (1:16:46). |
| Kirsten Burlingame | Education ranger, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site | Described the partnership, a middle school camp pilot and the fourth-grade park pass (1:00:15 onward). |
| Don Dexter | Sullivan County Conservation District (spelling unverified) | Described teacher training and school programs (1:02:55 onward). |
| Jill Chastain | Youth and Government co-advisor | Reported on the students' bills and the trip (1:17:44 onward). |
| Cameron; Clara | Stevens High School students (Youth and Government) | Spoke about the program (1:21:47, 1:23:42). |
| Unidentified | Board members and others | 248 of 1,018 rows (24.4%), mostly a mixed cluster of short interjections and ayes, including the member who moved the agenda (0:02:15), the member who abstained on the minutes (0:03:09) and the member who reported the newspaper notice error (2:51:57). |
Order of business (reconstructed)
No agenda for this meeting is posted online, though the board works from one and amends it at the table. This outline is reconstructed from the chair's transitions. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped entry for the full text.
| Taken up | Item | Agenda text / disposition |
|---|
| 0:00:15 | Call to order; pledge; roll call | Chair Rapp. Roll call garbled (0:00:48, 0:00:53). |
| 0:01:02 | Agenda | Superintendent: the food service presentation "will not take place tonight", replaced by a resignation, a collective bargaining subcommittee, the Bluff field trip and the June 7 meeting date (0:01:11 to 0:02:08). Moved as amended (0:02:15), seconded, voice vote (0:02:18). |
| 0:02:18 | Minutes of April 19, 2017 | "We have our minutes. Also from 19th." Motion and second not audible by name; approved by voice vote with one abstention (0:02:54, 0:03:09). |
| 0:03:13 | Student representative's report | Marion Lovett. |
| 0:06:29 | Superintendent's report | Resilience film, Bridge to Success, scheduling committee, food service RFP, extended learning, NEASC accreditation, full-day kindergarten bill (0:06:31 to 0:45:18). Board "consensus" that the chair or superintendent call Claremont's representatives (0:44:39 to 0:44:43); no vote. |
| 0:45:39 | Citizens' comments | Mayor Lovett; member Pierce as a citizen. Closed at 0:56:37. |
| 0:57:16 | Discussion: Saint-Gaudens partnership | Presentation. No vote. |
| 1:16:46 | Discussion: Youth and Government | Report back from the trip the board had approved. No vote. |
| 1:27:47 | State House poster contest | Two students congratulated. No vote. |
| 1:30:10 | Fiscal year 2019 budget presentation: capital improvements, technology, security | Business administrator's capital plan taken first (1:34:51); technology presentation; security discussion. Information only; follow-up requested (2:32:59, 2:34:43). |
| 2:37:41 | Resignation (added) | Resignation of the Claremont Middle School assistant principal (name not recoverable from the transcript) accepted with regrets and thanks, voice vote (2:39:01 to 2:39:12). |
| 2:39:20 | Bluff field trip (added) | Annual trip; motion Sprague (2:39:43), second, voice vote (2:39:55). |
| 2:40:10 | Collective bargaining subcommittee (added) | Rapp volunteered (2:41:18); Sprague named (2:41:33). No vote on the record. |
| 2:41:51 | June 7 meeting date (added) | Moved to Monday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m., with food service the only item (2:45:49 to 2:45:56). No formal vote. (On May 17 the board instead set May 31 for the food service presentation.) |
| 2:46:21 | 2017-18 district calendar | Two professional development days and five early release days (2:46:48); up to 30 hours of delays or closures built in (2:50:29). Motion Sprague (2:50:43), second, voice vote (2:50:50). |
| 2:50:55 | Other business | Staff contracts; newspaper notice error for the May 11 SAU 6 board meeting (2:51:57); recreation committee meeting (2:53:31). |
| 2:54:09 | Adjournment | Motion, second, voice vote. |
Discussion timeline
Chronological, from the dialogue CSV. Times are the start of the cited exchange, taken from the CSV's own second count. Hover over (or Tab to) a clipped cell for the full entry.
| Time | Topic | What was said | Flags |
|---|
| 0:01:11 | Agenda changes | McGoodwin: "The food service presentation discussion will not take place tonight." He added a resignation, "A collective bargaining subcommittee", the Bluff field trip and "the June 7th Claremont School Board meeting and a consideration to look at another date." (0:01:11 to 0:02:08). | |
| 0:02:18 | April 19 minutes | Rapp: "We have our minutes. Also from 19th." Approved by voice vote; one member answered Abstain. (0:03:09). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:06:31 | Superintendent's report: resilience | "I started the practice of putting some back up information in the packet regarding my report"; the film "resilience, the biology of stress and the science of hope" and a community outreach commitment. | |
| 0:10:10 | River Valley Bridge to Success | "River Valley Community College has rebranded what we used to call catch the Wave, to Bridge to Success"; high school students may take courses without prerequisites, and seniors "up to two summer courses" at a reduced rate. "it will be possible for a high school student to graduate with almost the almost the comparable courses of a of associate degree." (0:11:17). | |
| 0:17:24 | High school scheduling committee | Formed under "a letter of agreement between the Claremont School Board and the sugar River Education Association to prepare a schedule, high school schedule for the fall of 2018"; the schedule "has to be affordable" (0:17:53); "So this should come to closure in February 2018." (0:20:02). | |
| 0:22:00 | Food service RFP timing | O'Neill read section 22.2 of the RFP: presentations "will be scheduled by the school subsequent to the receipt of proposals and prior to the award." (0:22:09); "May 23rd is a closed date." (0:23:45). He suggested both vendors come the same night (0:24:03). | POSITIVE |
| 0:25:20 | Extended learning opportunities | An email from a tech center HVAC teacher on students placed with local employers; "we are partnering with local businesses, and we are expanding on our extended learning opportunities" (0:26:27). | |
| 0:29:59 | NEASC accreditation | "we received a document dated April 25th, 2017 from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and they have indicated that Steve's High School has met the requirements for accreditation and is hereby granted accreditation." | |
| 0:32:03 | Full-day kindergarten bill (SB 191) | "The Senate in March passed Senate Bill 191"; "the Claremont community could benefit by $300,000 to support full day kindergarten, which we are now funding ourselves." (0:34:55). "I have on this sheet a listed the Republicans who represent Claremont"; "it's going to be critical that we reach out to moderate Republicans" (0:33:37); the full House meets "tomorrow" (0:37:03). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:38:04 | How the board should weigh in | Irish: "we individually, we really shouldn't do it individually as as board members. It kind of crosses that line. But I would like to see the board ask the chairman to make those phone calls on our behalf." (0:38:21). Mayor Lovett: "Presenting your position both as a board and individually is important" (0:39:24). Pierce: "I'd like to make a motion that" (0:44:21); an unidentified voice: "We can't." Irish: "I think we've got a consensus." (0:44:39). | OBSERVATION |
| 0:45:46 | Citizens' comments: the mayor on accreditation | "We've had accreditation with we were on probation then we were there, was on warning and then was on probation." "We got no assistance from the state for that renovation. It was fully on the taxpayer's back" (0:46:53). | |
| 0:49:19 | Citizens' comments: lead-screening bill | "So the bill is SB 247." The mayor handed out cards: "If you would like, you can sign them and say you're supporting SB 247." (0:50:08). Members passed the cards along the table (0:55:16 onward). | |
| 0:52:25 | A visit by the governor | Adrian asked about inviting Governor Sununu; the mayor: "I've been working on a plan and I've pretty much mapped it out" (0:53:42). | |
| 0:57:16 | Saint-Gaudens partnership | Nancy Lewis, Kirsten Burlingame and Don Dexter on place-based learning, a first high school art exhibition at the park, a pilot middle school camp for 20 students (1:11:01) and the national park pass for fourth graders (1:13:18). | |
| 1:16:46 | Youth and Government | Lewis: "every year I've come and begged permission to take Stevens High School's best and brightest lawmakers. And every year you've granted us permission." (1:17:10). Students described their bills. | |
| 1:27:52 | State House poster contest | Two Claremont students advancing: Tyler Sullivan (Stevens) and Samantha Pratt (Claremont Middle School) (1:28:17). | |
| 1:30:15 | Fiscal year 2019 budget: framing | McGoodwin: the briefings are "one of the many steps to provide you with the foundation of awareness, as you have to deal with important budgetary decisions which will be starting soon." (1:30:53). | |
| 1:35:25 | Capital improvement plan | O'Neill: "there's two ways to pay for it. You can bond it and pay for it later" (1:35:43); roofs at "$100,000 a year, consistently for 13 years, to basically get $2 million worth of roofs repaired." (1:37:10); "this year is going to cost 150,000 to do the tech center, but we have the ability with year end surplus to pay for that this year" (1:42:30). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:40:07 | Roofing contractor | "I put them out to bid and they've come in. The lease on all the all the all the quotes. And in the interest of full disclosure, I work with Melanson all over the state and several other districts"; "I've already hired them to do the roof here at the tech center next year for the same price as last year's." (1:40:30). Bids are advertised "on the school's website" and in the paper "on two days, Fridays and Saturdays usually" (1:44:09, 1:44:39). | OBSERVATION |
| 1:51:35 | Security on a separate warrant article | O'Neill: "What we've been doing is putting the security plan on a separate warrant article." | |
| 2:05:49 | Technology plan | Malloy: "The technology plan expired in 2016." "we're flying without an action plan. We're flying without a technology plan." Wireless access points: "Highly recommended to have an access point in each room." (2:15:29). | |
| 2:28:45 | Where earlier technology money went | Irish: "a lot of what we're talking about right now that was in his presentation was in the same presentation that we sold to get the money we've already spent." "I was under the impression over the years when we when we spent some of that million that we put a lot of cameras in all the schools." (2:29:06); "there are no cameras there other than the high school." (2:29:26). | POSITIVE |
| 2:31:24 | Security warrant article | Malloy: the security article "for the middle school and this building" "wasn't for internal cameras" (2:31:49). Irish: "If I had known we didn't have cameras, I would have fought like crazy to not do that one article for the phone systems" (2:32:20). O'Neill on the earlier plan: "we need communication systems for us. And that's how the pecking order was determined." (2:33:32). Rapp asked for a plan (2:32:59, 2:34:43). | POSITIVE |
| 2:37:45 | Resignation | The Claremont Middle School assistant principal "has accepted a position in another district"; "This position has been posted" (2:38:43). Accepted with regrets (2:39:01 to 2:39:12). | |
| 2:40:10 | Bargaining subcommittee | McGoodwin: the Sugar River Education Association "Wants to start bargaining soon"; "Traditionally, it's been two members." (2:40:33). Rapp: "I've been on it. I'd be happy to do it again." (2:41:18); Sprague named (2:41:33). | OBSERVATION |
| 2:41:51 | June meeting date | June 7 is senior night (2:41:55); settled on "June 5th and just food service on the agenda if we can." (2:45:51), at 6:30. | |
| 2:46:21 | 2017-18 calendar | "the sugar River Education Association supports this calendar"; "two full professional development days and five early release days." (2:46:48); aligned with Newport's vacations because the districts share tech center students (2:48:53); "Up to 30 hours are built in." (2:50:29). Approved (2:50:43 to 2:50:50). | |
| 2:51:57 | Notice error for the SAU 6 meeting | "in today's paper the ad for the, essay board meeting on the 11th was listed as Monday of 11th, not Thursday." The caller had asked for a correction (2:52:09). | POSITIVE |
Items flagged for review
Flags are a reviewer's aid generated by comparing the meeting against the law in force on May 3, 2017. They are not findings of violation, and nothing here is legal advice. Each flag names the rule it rests on; where no verified rule applies, it is recorded as an observation. Ordered by severity. This page carries no HIGH or MEDIUM flag: nothing on the recording shows a binding rule missed.
OBSERVATION The agenda, packet and minutes for this meeting are not available online
The board worked from a written agenda and a packet (the superintendent refers to backup material "in the packet" at 0:06:31, and to colored sheets at 0:25:20 and 1:27:52), and approved the April 19 minutes (0:02:18 to 0:03:09). None of these documents, and no minutes of this meeting, are posted in the district's Drive shares, which begin with 2022 (Claremont) and 2023 (Meeting Minutes). The recording shows that minutes were being kept and approved in this period, so under the project's severity rule this is recorded as a finding about what the district now publishes online, not as evidence that the minutes were never produced or made available within the statutory window. The law in force required minutes, including "the names of members, persons appearing before the public bodies, and a brief description of the subject matter discussed and final decisions", to be "open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after the meeting". It did not yet require movers and seconders to be named.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (2016 codification; source note ends 2016, 29:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017, so this is the text in force throughout 2017).
OBSERVATION The board took a position on pending legislation by "consensus" after a member's attempt to make a motion was set aside
During the superintendent's report the board discussed Senate Bill 191, which the superintendent said could bring Claremont about $300,000 for the full-day kindergarten it was funding itself (0:34:55), and he listed the Republican representatives for Claremont whom he wanted contacted before the House vote "tomorrow" (0:33:37, 0:37:03). The vice chair asked that the board have the chair make the calls "on our behalf" rather than members acting individually (0:38:21). A member began "I'd like to make a motion that" (0:44:21); other voices answered that the board could not do that at this point, and the vice chair and chair then declared a consensus (0:44:39 to 0:44:43). No motion or vote followed. No verified rule requires a formal vote for a board to authorize its chair to convey a position, and the item arose inside a report rather than as a listed action item, which may be why a motion was ruled out. Recorded because a position communicated in the board's name to legislators rests, on the recording, on an informal consensus whose terms were not stated, and the minutes that would record it are not online.
Sources: No verified rule; recorded as an observation. The minutes-content rule in RSA 91-A:2, II (2016 codification) ("final decisions") is the relevant record-keeping provision.
OBSERVATION A roofing contractor was described as already hired for next year's tech center roof, with a working relationship disclosed; no board action is on the recording
The business administrator said roofs are put out to bid and that Melanson and Company had been lowest, disclosing "in the interest of full disclosure, I work with Melanson all over the state and several other districts" (1:40:07); on the Maple Avenue roof the firm "came in about $40,000 less than the other people" (1:40:20). He then said "I've already hired them to do the roof here at the tech center next year for the same price as last year's" (1:40:30), and that the tech center work "is going to cost 150,000" paid from year-end surplus (1:42:30); earlier warrant articles had named each year's roof (1:42:12). The recording does not show whether the tech center job was separately bid, whether the board approved the award, or how the timing ("next year" and "this year") fits together. The disclosure itself is to his credit. No statute verified for this page sets a bidding threshold for school district construction contracts in 2017, and the district's purchasing policy for the period is not available, so this is recorded as an observation for a reviewer with access to the contract and the policy.
Sources: No verified rule; recorded as an observation.
OBSERVATION The bargaining subcommittee was formed by volunteering, without a vote on the record
Asked for "representation from the Claremont School Board who will serve on the collective bargaining subcommittee" (2:40:33), the chair volunteered and Sprague was named (2:41:18, 2:41:33); no motion or vote followed. A subcommittee of the board is itself a public body. The law in force, however, excluded "Strategy or negotiations with respect to collective bargaining" from the definition of a meeting, so the subcommittee's negotiating sessions with the association were not meetings requiring notice and minutes. The observation is limited to the formation: the record of who was appointed, and by what act, would be in the minutes, which are not online.
Sources: RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d) (source note ends 2008, 354:1, so in force throughout the corpus): a public body includes "any committee, subcommittee, or subordinate body thereof, or advisory committee thereto"; RSA 91-A:2, I(a) (2016 codification, text in force during 2017): exclusion for "Strategy or negotiations with respect to collective bargaining".
POSITIVE A wrong weekday in the published notice of the May 11 SAU 6 board meeting was caught and a correction requested
Under other business an unidentified voice reported that the newspaper ad for the SAU 6 board meeting "on the 11th was listed as Monday of 11th, not Thursday" and that a correction had been requested (2:51:57, 2:52:09); "I mean the date is right but the day" (2:52:16). May 11, 2017 was a Thursday. The law in force required notice of the time and place of each meeting at least 24 hours ahead, posted in two places or printed in a newspaper. A contradictory weekday in a notice invites confusion about when the meeting is; catching it and asking for a correction a week ahead serves the purpose of the rule.
Sources: RSA 91-A:2, II (2016 codification, text in force during 2017): notice "of the time and place of each such meeting".
POSITIVE Members asked where earlier technology and security money went before considering new requests, and got a follow-up at the next meeting
The vice chair asked the administration to establish whether earlier technology and security spending had bought what the board had been told it would (2:28:45 to 2:29:48); the chair asked for a security plan and an accounting of what had been spent (2:32:59, 2:34:43); the superintendent called the questions "exactly what I was hoping for" (2:35:14). Two weeks later the technology director returned with written answers to eight questions from this meeting, including the camera question (see the May 17, 2017 page). Checking past appropriations against their stated purposes before adding new ones exceeds any legal minimum.
Sources: No rule required; recorded as good practice. Follow-up: May 17, 2017 recording, show 9098.
POSITIVE Food service vendors were not heard before proposals were due, as the district's own RFP required
The business administrator explained that vendor presentations were deferred because the RFP's section 22.2, as he read it aloud, provided that presentations "will be scheduled by the school subsequent to the receipt of proposals and prior to the award" (0:22:09), with proposals closing May 23 (0:23:45). He called the rule "ridiculous" (0:22:32) but followed it, and the review committee was to evaluate the proposals before the board heard the vendors (0:24:40). Holding every bidder to the published process protects the fairness of the award. The RFP is quoted as read on the recording; the document itself is not online.
Sources: No statute relied on; the rule is the RFP's own term as read at 0:22:09.
Appendix: source files
Official and public sources
- Cablecast show 9073, "SCHOOL BOARD MEETING 5-3": Claremont Community TV. Every timestamp on this page links into this recording.
- No Drive material: neither the Claremont nor the SAU 6 share holds a year folder older than 2022, and the Meeting Minutes share starts at 2023 (MAP.md section 32, checked 9/26/26). The agenda, packet, capital improvement plan, technology presentation, food service RFP and minutes were not located.
- Related page: May 17, 2017 (answers to this meeting's technology and security questions; the food service presentation rescheduled to May 31).
Project files
Working files this page was built from. The dialogue file is linked; the others are not published with the page.
Dialogue/9073 SchoolBoard050317.mp4.CSV (1,018 attributed rows; the basis of this page)Input/Videos/9073 SchoolBoard050317.mp4Input/Transcripts/9073 SchoolBoard050317.mp4.jsonScripts/attribution_reports_2015_2023/9073 SchoolBoard050317.mp4.mdInput/SupportingDocuments/MAP.md, section 32
Laws and rules cited on this page
- RSA 91-A:2, I(a) and II (2016 codification, text in force during 2017): collective bargaining exclusion; notice; minutes content and five-business-day availability; no mover/seconder requirement until January 1, 2019.
- RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d) (unamended since 2008): subcommittees are public bodies.