Proposed Gilford school budget up 2.8%, with building improvements and union contracts

GILFORD — Gilford School District voters will decide on a proposed operating budget with a 2.76% increase at the March 10 district meeting, and if all warrant articles are approved, the budget total would be a 4.26% increase from last year.

The Gilford School Board unanimously approved Article 2 in the district’s warrant on Dec. 1, which asks voters to approve an operating budget with a 2.76% increase over the default budget. The proposed operating budget is $32.2 million and, if defeated, would revert to the default budget of $31.4 million, which is last year’s total.

“The board wanted it in the 2%-3% range, and I think we hit that,” Superintendent Kirk Beitler said in a post-meeting interview. “We have reduced a little bit of staffing to manage that, and keep the status quo, so we can make sure we have all the supports we need for students and teachers.”

Beitler said the reduction was an English teacher position at the high school which was not filled this year, so the proposal is to remove it from this budget.

The total proposed budget is $33.1 million, when taking into account $425,000 from capital account warrant articles, and $485,810 for the collective bargaining agreement for union staff. This equates to a 4.26% increase over last year.

The school board’s decision followed budget presentations by Beitler and Business Administrator Amie Leigh, who went over the default budget for the board to approve, along with the language of Article 2.

The proposed operating budget is $866,757 higher than 2025-26, and includes $31 million in the general fund, as well as $434,055 in the federal projects fund, and $736,355 in the food service fund.

Beitler pointed out a key budget driver includes the bargaining agreement for teachers in Article 3, which asks voters to approve increases in salaries and benefits at current staffing levels, paid over three years. In 2026-27, the increase is $485,810, and then estimated increases in the next two school years are $471,629, then $474,356.

Another factor is building maintenance projects at a cost of $415,403, as well as a 17.5% increase in the bus contract. The first year of the new bus contract is estimated to be $184,935.

Beitler also told the school board of proposed budget increases, including $448,322 in salary adjustments for support staff, administrators, and non-union employees. There is also a proposed increase of $100,000 for the English Language Arts curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade, required by law. Also proposed was $34,343 for a technology support position at the middle school.

There are three major capital improvement project, notably $700,000 for the bathrooms and the concession stand at the Meadows.

“That is a really fabulous project to look forward to, for sure,” Beitler said.

Also included is a heating, ventilation and cooling project for the high and middle schools totaling $209,550, and $75,000 for the districtwide phone system.

“The phone and the HVAC, and the larger project at the Meadows, is coming out of capital reserve accounts,” Beitler said. “It is taxpayer money, but it is coming from the fund balance, and is not impacting the tax rate for the ’26-’27 school year.”

Six proposed building projects total $415,203, including $115,077 for improvements at the elementary school involving replacing bathroom counter tops, the accordion walls, basketball hoop safety traps, cafeteria tables, and the refrigerator, as well as cleaning smoke detectors.

Also proposed is $113,099 for a hot water heater, dishwasher, and another refrigerator.

The building projects include $64,563 for the high school, involving replacing the cafeteria tables, mini-splits, entry door floor, pipe fittings, air handler door sealing, and cleaning smoke detectors.

At the middle school, $61,555 would be used for a baseball safety fence, a loading dock door, corridor door, kitchen refrigerator, display refrigerator, and both duct and smoke detector cleaning.

At the Meadows, $49,800 is proposed for roof repairs and a paint machine rental. There is also $11,209 to be used for the basement bathroom and smoke detector cleaning in the district office.

While only Article 2 was approved, Beitler also presented the district’s draft warrant, to be voted on in March.

The first article is for school district officers, including a three-year term for a school board member, and one-year terms for the district moderator, clerk and treasurer.

Article 3 asks voters to approve the bargaining agreement between the Gilford School District and the Gilford Education Association, and if it is defeated, Article 4 asks voters to authorize the school board to call a special meeting to address the costs.

Article 5 asks voters to approve raising and appropriating $300,000 to be added to the School Buildings Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund. The money comes from the unrestricted fund balance, and is earmarked for repair, maintenance, upgrades and improvements of the buildings, grounds, and operating systems for school buildings.

Article 6 asks voters to approve $100,000 to be added to the School Buildings and Roof Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund, also from the unrestricted fund balance, for repair, maintenance, upgrades, and improvements to the roof systems.

The voters will be asked to approve $25,000 added to the School Buildings Technology Infrastructure Capital Reserve Fund in Article 7, which would be used for repair, maintenance, upgrades and improvements of the technology resources and infrastructure.

All but Article 2 are draft warrant items, and will be reviewed by the district’s legal counsel before being posted publicly ahead of the Feb. 3 deliberative session. At the session, Beitler will make a presentation and school leaders will be present to answer questions. Voters will also have the opportunity to make amendments to any article, including the budget.

The district will vote on the warrant articles on March 10.