For many years, our Portsmouth schools have had a high ranking in the state of NH. We offer a comprehensive curriculum, have a well educated staff and provide students many extracurricular opportunities. Our community has always supported public education in Portsmouth. Half of our City budget is devoted to our schools. It's a huge responsibility for our School Board to insure that these funds are spent well. The Board must be conscientious. Many work sessions during the budget season allow the Board to study the strategies that will continue to maintain the quality of our schools, while being sensitive to the taxpayer.
The Board has worked very well with the City throughout the years to maintain our buildings. Renovations/additions to our high school, middle school. Lister Academy, and two of our elementary schools have been successful and effective. We must now turn our attention to New Franklin, and the plan is to ask the City for funding spread out over several years.
The rapid building of new developments in our community is a concern to the School Board. Will our school population increase? The Board recently created the Future Building Needs Committee to examine this issue and make recommendations to the City, if necessary. Many other issues face the School Board every year. It's challenging, interesting, and I have truly enjoyed my service to our City for the past 26 years. Please support me in my bid once again, to be a School Board member. Thank you for your consideration.
