A Note from Roger Speidel

This note was sent to me asking to be published on the blog...

During the public comment segment of the June 15 school Board meeting the Board was attacked viciously for their decision to buy out Howard Colter’s contract. This was done by an extremely vocal minority accompanied by energetic clapping and jeering.

We, the majority, can no longer be silent. Our role must be to support the School Board with facts.

When the vocal minority says this Board is going to destroy a great school system, the facts do not support greatness when it’s related to the Oyster River School District.

For example: this year in the NECAP tests Oyster River ranked 18th in a State ranked 28th in the Nation educationally (bottom half). One of Oyster River’s elementary schools ranked 60th. That’s hard to believe. Do you know what that augurs for the future? People tell me that Oyster River was always first or second in the past.

In the AYP testing for the past 2 years, Oyster River failed to achieve the required proficiency in both reading and math. This relegates Oyster River to the status of a DINI system; a District in Need of Improvement. Seventy-five school districts in the State did achieve the required proficiency in the AYP testing.

Each year in the State of New Hampshire 3 schools are selected as “Schools of Excellence”; 1 high school, one middle school, and 1 elementary school. For 2011 the ratio of teacher to students in the 3 Schools of Excellence is 1 to 17.9. The Oyster River Schools; 1 high school 1 middle school, and 2 elementary schools have a teacher/student ratio of 1 teacher to 12.9 students and they are not at the top.

It requires Oyster River 159 teachers to teach its 2050 students. The 3 Schools of Excellence can teach 2050 students with 114 teachers, 45 less than Oyster River and do it with excellence. Our budget is bloated because our staffing is bloated. 73% of the school budget is salary and benefits.

The teacher/student ratio at Oyster River Middle School is 1 teacher to 11 students and the administration wants to add 3 more teachers there.

In the past 10 years Oyster River’s per pupil cost has gone from $374 over the State average to $3472 over the State average, a 1000% increase. And while the school budget was skyrocketing, the number of our seniors going on to 4 year colleges did not increase one single percent. It remained in the low 70’s. At the same time, Bow was sending 85% of it’s seniors on to 4 year colleges and doing it for $3,000 less per student per year.

The last year that the State Department of Revenue broke equalized local school tax out separately, Durham, Madbury, and Lee had 3 of the 4 highest tax rates in the State in towns over 7,000 in population.

In the US News and World Report study of the “100 Best High Schools in America” (none in New Hampshire) the number 2,3, and 4 schools in the Nation have a average teacher/student ratio or 1 teacher to over 20 students and they spend from $3,000 to $6,000 less per student per year than Oyster River.

A massive boondoggle to the taxpayers was the renovation of the High School. It was designed to accommodate 880 students and presently the high school has less than 700 students and the enrollment projections show that the high school enrollment will drop below 600 in the future. To fill up space in the high school, Barrington students are being brought in, each at a $6,000 discount....not a good idea.

All these things occurred under the aegis of the defeated and former board members who are making the most noise now against the present School Board. The last five years were also under Mr. Colter’s watch.

Now, what to do? We must become the vocal majority. The School Board made a wise and courageous decision on June 15 and we have to vigorously support them as they work with the new opportunities that are open to them.

We can do this by attending Board meetings, speaking at Board meetings, (I intend to speak at the July 20 Board meeting), sending letters to Foster’s, doing research, campaigning for the Board candidates (coffees, signs, work the polls) and bringing new people to our meetings.

We can no longer be passive. We must, both vote and act. It’s time to assert our energy and deflate the sour grapes of the defeated and former Board members and their minions.

Remember, our meeting has been postponed to Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Durham Town Hall. Bring someone new with you. And keep in mind there is a School Board meeting the next night, attend if you can, and speak if you wish to add strength to our message.

See you on the 19th.

Respectively Submitted,
Roger Speidel