Dear Families,
It looks like we’re in for a doozy of a storm on Sunday. I don’t know about you, but I still love a good New England storm every once in a while! These smaller storms can be more of a hassle than they’re worth, so stock up on bread and milk and enjoy some football on Sunday.
We are currently in budget season, and our Deliberative Session will take place on Saturday, February 7 at 9:00 a.m. in the multipurpose room. This session is your opportunity to hear about the proposed budget and the warrant articles that you will be voting on in March.
One particularly important warrant article relates to open enrollment. The New Hampshire Legislature has voted to make all NH schools open enrollment, meaning students from Mason could attend a public school in another NH town, and students from outside Mason could attend MES. At this time, there is limited guidance on how open enrollment will work statewide, so districts have been encouraged to set parameters.
As a district, we must determine:
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How many students we will allow to leave MES to attend another public school in NH
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How many students from outside Mason we will allow to attend MES
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How many middle and high school students we will allow to attend schools other than Milford Middle and High School
There is a cost associated with sending students out of Mason. Therefore, we are proposing:
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Limiting outgoing students to 1% of the MES population
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Allowing up to 10% of students who reside outside of Mason to attend MES
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Allowing up to 10% of middle and high school students to attend a public middle or high school other than Milford
By bringing students into MES, the district would receive 80% of the sending district’s cost per pupil as tuition reimbursement.
It is very important that this warrant article passes. Without it, we would not be able to accept incoming students, nor would we be able to control how many students leave the district—something that could become very costly. While there is still work to be done regarding the logistics of open enrollment, the passage of this warrant is the necessary first step. More information will be shared as the school year continues.
We also have several positions up for election this year, including two School Board Members, School Board Clerk, and District Moderator. If you are interested in getting involved, please stop by the school between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to sign up with Miss Heidi by Friday, January 30. On January 30, sign-up hours will be extended until 5:00 p.m.
Finally, dust off those cowboy hats and boots and join us for our Annual Family Dance on Friday, February 6 (see attached) from 6:00–8:00 p.m. It’s always a great time! Sign-ups close on Friday, January 30, and space is limited, so don’t wait.
Stay warm this weekend!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!
Kristen