Dunn raises transparency concerns over school board packet availability

LACONIA — During Tuesday’s meeting, school board member Laura Dunn raised concerns about whether the district was following its public information availability policies.

Upon a verbal request, the packet of materials provided to board members ahead of Tuesday’s meeting was provided to The Daily Sun and included in a meeting preview in the March 7 edition. McCollum’s resignation letter and the compensation details accompanying the early principal change, though referenced in the packet, was not included in that version.

Dunn said that, after reading the paper, this confused her. District policy cites RSA 91-A and states that board packets are public information except for portions clearly marked as confidential. The letter, Dunn said, had neither been marked confidential nor shared with the public in the case of the packet received by The Sun.

“Is it confidential or is it not?” Dunn asked. 

“We’ve all had this conversation multiple times, where if it’s in the board pack, unless it’s stamped confidential, the public has a right to see anything that’s in our documents,” said Board member Dawn Johnson, echoing Dunn’s concern. “I posted a lot of what was in here online yesterday, including the resignation letter ... so if it was supposed to be confidential, it should’ve been noted.”

Superintendent Steve Tucker, who fields district information and right-to-know requests, said, while he felt it was important that the board see it, the letter “could be interpreted as a personnel file issue,” when Dunn asked why it was not included.

RSA 91-A, New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know law, lists “internal personnel practices” among the types of information shielded from public view. Letters of resignation generally are not exempt from government information requests.

Tucker said he was “trying to be respectful of Mr. McCollum” but was “comfortable sharing [the letter] with the press after the meeting.” It is attached to this article online at laconiadailysun.com.

Board member packets include supporting documents for items under discussion and action by the board, such as policies under review, and written versions of the board’s chair and superintendent reports. They are distributed to board members and available to the public through the district office five days before meetings.