The School Board received updates at its most recent meeting on two major financial and facilities matters: the remaining payment on the district’s unexpected School-Care assessment and progress on the new District Office project at Town Hall.
Business Administrator Amity Small reminded the Board that in September, Londonderry, along with every other participating district, received an unexpected $2.16 million health insurance assessment from School-Care. The assessment was issued to cover a deficit in the statewide risk pool used to pay insurance claims.
Small noted that the surprise bill prompted several follow-up presentations throughout the fall as the district worked to understand the assessment and explore payment options. “Board members and the District Office worked with School-Care to figure out payment options,” she said.
In November, the School Board unanimously approved a structured payment plan, with one-third of the total due by Dec. 31. The district paid $672,151.41 from the general fund to meet that deadline.
The remaining $1.344 million is due July 15.
“Tonight, the Business Office is asking the School Board to approve this expenditure from the Unassigned Fund Balance,” Small said. “If approved, we would earmark $1,344,000 from the Fund Balance and issue the payment in July.”
Small added that the district intends to hold the funds as long as possible to continue earning interest before the July deadline.
School Board Chair Bob Slater noted that 89 of the 90 School-Care districts have already paid or made payment arrangements. The Board unanimously approved the request.
Superintendent Dan Black also briefed the Board on the progress of the new District Office building, which will be constructed as an addition to Town Hall following voter approval in March.
Black announced that the next full committee meeting will take place April 23 at 8 a.m. in the Merrill Conference Room at Town Hall. “During that meeting, we will choose a frequency of check-in times over the next year for the larger committee to meet,” he said. The larger committee will serve primarily as an oversight and coordination group while Town and School staff work with construction manager Re-Ach to complete the project by late spring 2027.
Black shared several project updates:
- The district has notified its current landlord at Kitty Hawk that it intends to vacate the building by July 1, 2027, or sooner if possible. The landlord expressed appreciation for the district’s tenancy and understanding of its need to relocate to a permanent, town-owned facility.
- A small wetland area must be addressed as part of the new parking lot construction. TF Moran has completed the site survey and submitted the required application to the State. The plans have also been shared with the Planning Board and Conservation Commission. The district anticipates state approval by July 2026, which will allow the rest of the project to move forward. Tree clearing for the parking area has already begun.
- The Town has signed its contract with Marinace as the project architect and is finalizing its contract with Re-Ach as construction manager.
- Re-Ach will begin initial bidding in several areas shortly.
- A few small upgrades to the existing Town Hall, such as security system improvements to create a unified campus, will also begin. These costs are not part of the $3.9 million joint project and will be funded through Town capital reserve accounts.