Seabrook eyes future beyond SAU 21: Voters approve committee to explore school withdrawal

Staff report
Updated ·4 min read

SEABROOK — The majority of voters are interested in forming a committee to explore the possibility of withdrawing Seabrook schools from School Administrative Unit 21.

Voters approved the article at Tuesday's Town Meeting by a vote of 830 to 601.

SAU 21 consists of Seabrook, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, South Hampton and the Winnacunnet Cooperative School District.

The majority of voters are interested in forming a committee to explore the possibility of withdrawing Seabrook schools from School Administrative Unit 21.
The majority of voters are interested in forming a committee to explore the possibility of withdrawing Seabrook schools from School Administrative Unit 21.

The Seabrook School Board put forth the article to start the formal process of breaking away from the SAU in light of concerns brought up by parents regarding the education of their students.

In recent years, Seabrook parents have repeatedly expressed concern about the students' lack of proficiency in academics compared with other communities in SAU 21, according to annual state achievement test scores. Others have brought up concerns that Seabrook's students are not prepared when they get to Winnacunnet High School, causing them to enjoy less success in their academics and have higher dropout rates.

Town Meeting results: Theresa Kyle wins fourth term on Seabrook Select Board

At the polls, voters were mixed on the question if Seabrook should study withdrawal.

Rachel Turcotte, an educational associate, called the question of whether Seabrook should break away from SAU 21 a “tough one.”

Seabrook School Board candidate Lacey Fowler, center, and voters Nate Mawson and Mark Potvin are seen outside the polls Tuesday at the Community Center.
Seabrook School Board candidate Lacey Fowler, center, and voters Nate Mawson and Mark Potvin are seen outside the polls Tuesday at the Community Center.

Moments after she voted at the Seabrook Community Center, Turcotte said she could see why the town is part of an SAU but sometimes can imagine why not being part of one might be a good idea too.

“It’s not a terrible thing to look at pulling out,” she said. “I guess sometimes, I feel we’re treated unfairly compared to a couple of other towns in the district. But is it the right choice? I’m not really sure, but it’s worth taking a look at.”

Jon Ringel did not say whether he personally favored Seabrook withdrawing from SAU 21. However, he did offer his thoughts on how he feels Seabrook is treated among all the other communities that comprise the district.

“We’re kind of the town that’s left behind,” he said. “This has been a problem for 40, 50 years.”

The committee to study the issue will be formed in the coming months.

State law specifies its membership, how and when it meets, the issues it must investigate, and what’s to be included in its report.

The study will consist of an “analysis of the educational and fiscal benefit and cost” of being part of SAU 21. It will also look to see if Seabrook should establish its own SAU, so it can have a full-time superintendent focusing on Seabrook’s needs rather than sharing one with four other school districts.

This isn’t the first time a community has withdrawn from SAU 21.

Hampton voters approved withdrawing from SAU 21 and formed SAU 90 on July 1, 2011. Supporters of Hampton’s withdrawal effort argued that Hampton paid the lion's share of the SAU 21 budget but didn’t get much in return.

Like Hampton, if Seabrook does withdraw, it would continue to send students to the high school as part of the Winnacunnet Cooperative District.

Seabrook has investigated withdrawing from SAU 21 twice before, only to remain for financial reasons. Both studies were done before Hampton’s withdrawal.

After Hampton withdrew from SAU 21, Seabrook became the town with the largest student population in SAU 21 and the second largest sending students to Winnacunnet behind Hampton.

In its elementary and middle schools alone, Seabrook has about 650 students, while South Hampton K-8 population is about 85, Hampton Falls approximately 180, and North Hampton around 300. Because of that, SAU 21 Superintendent Meredith Nadeau said Seabrook currently pays 29.42% of SAU 21's annual budget and 30.52% of the Winnacunnet budget. Hampton provides about 50% of the high school's annual budget, according to Nadeau.

If Seabrook voters eventually approve the withdrawal, the result would significantly impact the remaining towns in the SAU, according to Nadeau.

“We’d have to reexamine our operations,” Nadeau said.

Fowler, Brown elected to Seabrook School Board

Lacey Lou Fowler and Maria Brown were elected to the School Board in a four-way race for two seats.

Fowler garnered the most votes with 1,078, followed by Maria Brown with 477 and Paul Knowles with 261 votes. Selectman Harold Eaton, who dropped out of the race for School Board, received 420 votes.

Michele Knowles, who ran a write-in campaign, garnered 377 votes.

The proposed school operating budget of $17.9 million failed at the polls, meaning the default budget of $17.6 million will go into effect.

Voters also rejected a $154,796 request to retain the school’s second full-time social worker, whose salary had previously been paid by a grant that had expired, and a citizens' petition for $16,762 to provide child benefit services for Seabrook students who attend Sacred Heart School in Hampton.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seabrook votes to explore leaving SAU 21