Some Tamworth students going to Moultonborough

TAMWORTH — A few high school students from Tamworth will be able to attend Moultonborough Academy next school year rather than Kennett High School. Who gets to go to Moultonborough will be determined by a lottery system. Winners will likely be chosen in April.

The announcement came Wednesday in a joint press release from SAU 13 Superintendent Michael E. Whaland and SAU 45 Superintendent Patrick Andrew. It said:

“The Moultonborough and Tamworth School Boards are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement on a pilot tuition agreement between the two districts.

“This agreement will allow for a limited number of Tamworth students to attend Moultonborough Academy for grades 9-12. All Tamworth students are still eligible to attend Kennett High School, but a limited number of tuitioned students, selected by lottery, may attend Moultonborough Academy for the 2024-2025 school year. This is a pilot that we hope is successful, allowing more Tamworth students in the future to have the choice of either Kennett High School or Moultonborough Academy.”

It added: “Both the Moultonborough School District and the Tamworth School District are excited about this opportunity and are committed to working to make this a successful partnership for the benefit of both schools and all students.”

Whaland told the Sun that the pilot program will not be up for a vote at annual school meeting in Tamworth. However, there will be an informational session about the pilot at the conclusion of Tamworth’s annual school meeting on March 6 at 7 p.m. at the KA Brett School.

Tamworth has a current agreement with Conway School District that 90 percent of Tamworth students go to Kennett. Up to six Tamworth students will be able to go to Moultonborough Academy next school year.

“We want to make sure we’re honoring that current contract,” said Whaland “So if we send six kids this first year, we will still be within our 90 percent. We’re hoping to expand that to another for next year. So our plan was if we keep it within about 10 students we still hold we’re still holding true to the provision in the contract of 90.”

Tamworth pays Kennett about $15,500 per student. This means Kennett will lose about $93,000 in revenue if six students leave.

Asked about the pilot program, SAU 9 Superintendent Kevin Richard said, “School choice options are becoming more popular with districts and parents. With the decline of enrollment across the state, districts are looking at opportunities to increase revenue by tuitioning students.”

Transportation to and from Moultonborough will not be offered in the first year of the pprogram, said Whaland. If a Tamworth student athlete attends Moultonbough, he or she would play on Moultonborough teams.

The lottery system will involve drawing names out of a container. They will be drawn at a posted Tamworth School Board meeting. The drawing will be open to eighth graders. There may be requirements based on academic standing, attendance, and so on.

“Because we’re moving, the plan is to have this first year the pilot program started in the fall, we’ll hold that this year, probably in probably the April board meeting,” said Whaland. “Then in future years, we’ll probably hold it more in the fall.”

Tamworth has 95 students going to Kennett right now and 185 at KA Brett School for a total of 280 students.

Moultonborough Academy has 144 students in grades nine through 12.

According to the tuition contract, in June of 2024, Tamworth must tell Conway if it doesn’t want to renew. However, there will be nothing on the warrant regarding tuition contracts this year.

“If we can work within the guidelines of our current agreement and potentially start looking where we want to be for future contract negotiations. I think that’s a good move for the Tamworth community members, parents and students,” said Whaland.