Jessica Wheeler Russell of Penacook, who sits on the board of Merrimack County School District, spoke briefly to begin the testimony when the Rand trial opened last week. She told the court she regularly took calls, or had conversations with her constituents asking what could be done to stem the ever-rising rate of the school property tax.
In particular, she said that elderly homeowners, many living on fixed incomes, were fearful of losing their homes. As a school board member, she said the challenge of preparing school budgets that provide students with the education they deserve without overburdening taxpayers has become greater year by year.
The first week of testimony featured two former school superintendents, John Freeman of Pittsfield and Corrine Cascadden of Berlin, both with decades of experience as classroom teachers and school administrators. Attorneys representing the state challenged the appearance of both as expert witnesses, questioning their qualifications only to be overruled by Judge David Ruoff.
Pittsfield is a town of 4,125, with a median household income of $64,564, 70% of the statewide average, with an equalized property value per pupil of $989,175, or 52% of the statewide median.
In 2023, 204 of the 540 pupils enrolled in the schools qualified for free and reduced-price lunch with household incomes at or below 130% of poverty, and 104 pupils received special education services. The combined local and state education tax rate was $14.62.
Freeman, a lifelong teacher, principal and superintendent and former superintendent of the Pittsfield School District, testified for two days to begin the trial. He recalled preparing a budget with only the dollars provided by the state. He found the state funding far short of what was required to meet the minimum standards for public school approval set by the state and doubted it was sufficient even to operate the school system.
In particular, Freeman pointed to challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers. In New Hampshire, the average teacher salary is $67,000 while in Pittsfield it is $22,000 less at $45,000. First-year teachers qualify for the federal food stamp program and their children for the free and reduced-price lunch program. Annual teacher turnover has ranged between 25% and 50%. Freeman noted one first-year teacher earning $30,000 left the district after one year for a position in nearby Epsom at $50,000.
Berlin is a city of some 9,500 with a median household income of $41,638, 42% of the statewide average with an equalized property value per student of $838,102, 44% of the statewide median. In 2023, 576 of the 971 pupils enrolled in the schools qualified for free and reduced price Lunch, and 217 received special education services. The combined local and state education tax rate was $12.36.
Corinne Cascadden, the former school superintendent in Berlin, said the city’s schools have struggled since the Legislature reduced grants to local school districts in 2016 while dwindling enrollment, distributed on a per-pupil basis, further reduced state funding.
The district downsized, closing the last of its three elementary schools in 2019 after foregoing $879,295 in state funding. At the same time, the district began exploring consolidation and partnerships with other districts in the region. She said that falling student enrollment and shrinking state funding has hampered the district’s capacity to offer an appropriate menu of educational opportunities.
