By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Hooksett voters soundly shot down a proposed increase in teacher salaries, narrowly denied a proposed $22.5 million operating budget and approved a committee to study the effects of Hooksett’s potential withdrawal from SAU 15.

Teacher salaries
Voters, by a count of 409- 849, nixed a proposed 3.8 percent increase in teacher salaries for the next three years. The agreement would have added more than $300,000 to the annual school district budget.

“That’s a shame,” said school board member Ron Dion. “Now we’re back to square one, and we’re going to have to pay the same health insurance as before.”

Hooksett teachers voiced strong support for the raise at the district’s deliberative session last month, arguing that Hooksett’s teachers’ salaries are among the lowest third in the state, and are preventing some talented teachers from entering the district.

The budget committee, members of which have called the raise excessive, didn’t recommend the new deal.

Building fixes
Voters supported a request to use the $1.1 million remainder of the $19 million Cawley construction and Memorial renovation bond for improvements – including a new boiler, HVAC upgrades and asbestos abatement – to the aging Underhill School.

Voters also approved spending $35,000 on renovations to the SAU 15 administrative building on Farmer Road. Improvements planned include both roof and window replacements. Last year, renovations to Underhill and the SAU building were paired together in a warrant article denied by voters.

Voters this year supported the Underhill plan 816-442, and the SAU bulding proposal passed 698-549.

Operating budget
Voters denied a request for a $22.5 million operating budget that includes almost $400,000 in increases for special education costs and nearly $180,000 in extra high school tuition costs.

“I’m kind of disheartened,” said Dion. “There’s not a lot of wiggle room on the budget – the only things you can cut are the things that affect kids directly.”

The district held a second meeting last year after voters denied the first budget. A slimmer version of the budget passed in May.

“I’m not sure that would happen again,” said Dion.

The budget was shot down by just 30 votes, 608-638. The default budget is $22,343,500, about $245,000 less than what was proposed.

To leave or not to leave The Hooksett School District will form a committee to study the effects of Hooksett’s potential withdrawal from SAU 15, which Hooksett shares with Auburn and Candia. Voters approved the study committee 634-595. The warrant article was submitted by Maura Ouellette, who was voted into a school board seat this year. Candia voters denied forming such a committee at the recent Candia School District Meeting.

Candidates
Incumbent James Sullivan and newcomer Maura Ouellette won three-year seats on the Hooksett School Board, with 630 and 787 votes respectively. Patricia Rueppel lost with 464.