Legalization vote on school bond scheduled for April 10

GILMANTON — There will be a special deliberative session on Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. in the Gilmanton School Cafeteria, to give voters an opportunity to ratify their decision to reconfigure the entrance for better security.

The meeting is necessary to address legal concerns about a wording deficiency in the posting for the public hearing on Article 3 of the 2019 Gilmanton School District warrant. The public posting identified its purpose as being “For a Proposed Bond” but it failed to provide any detail as to the use of the proposed bond.

A state statute provides for a “Legalization Meeting” to help resolve such issues. NH RSA 40:16 allows voters to meet and cast a paper ballot to ratify the action of the March 12 election. The vote will require a three-fifths majority to pass.

The polls will remain open for one hour, but no absentee ballots will be collected.

Defeat of the article would not rescind the authorization that Gilmanton voters gave on March 12, but it does create confusion about the Gilmanton School District’s ability to borrow the money. Approving the article would clear up the legal question and allow the district to move forward with the construction plans.

The $1.3 million project would address safety and security concerns identified in 2018 by reconfiguring the vestibule and office, along with relocating a classroom that would be displaced by the work.

The School Board last year encumbered $40,000 in unexpended funds to begin addressing the issues, and the school district received a $67,680 Safety and Security grant for equipment such as extending the camera system, installing a key fob system for all exterior doors, extending the communications system, and architectural fees for the reconfiguring of the vestibule and office space.

Voters with questions about the April 10 special meeting may contact Superintendent John Fauci at 603-267-9097 or jfauci@sau79.org.