Page 1 - JAN2021

SERVING THE TOWNS OF BRISTOL • BRIDGEWATER • ALEXANDRIA • HEBRON
2021 VOL. 1. NO. 2
PRSRT STD
POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT 491
Concord, NH
JANUARY
Newfound
Area Voter
Turnout
By Brittany amalfi
The 2020 presidential elec- tion has been nothing short of a whirlwind in our country these past few months. With the pres- idential candidates racing to the finish line to see who will take on the role of the Commander in Chief of the United States for the next four years, our media has been consumed with story after story of the election results. However, the fascinating story here is all about voter turnout.
It’s no secret that the num- ber of voters across the country increased from the last time we elected our president. Millions of people came out on and before election day to exercise their constitutional right to cast their ballot. The world watched closely as people filled the gyms and halls, anxiously waiting for the results that would come on
VOTER TURNOUT
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Newfound Schools Budget Dilemma Threatens Jobs, Sports & More
By Judy d. Ogara
The Newfound School Dis- trict is facing a huge shortfall next year, and to bridge that gap, its administration is forced to propose a budget that cuts staff, special education, re- quired maintenance, a fifth re- duction in supplies, field trips, books, technology and even middle school and JV athletics.
“I was pretty concerned when I heard about the se- rious budget cuts,” says Erin Edwards, a resident of Hebron and middle school teacher in the district. The parent of with two children in Newfound schools, she has joined We Are Newfound, a grassroots group that wants, she says, “an appro- priate educational experience for the kids, nothing out of the ordinary, and we just feel that the proposed cuts would make it an inadequate educational experience. As a teacher, I don’t see any waste. It’s very trim.”
Pierre Couture, Superinten- dent of the Newfound School District, which serves Alex- andria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Groton, Hebron and New Hampton, explains what is going on with the budget.
“This is a tax-cap district,”
says Couture. This law, he says, “is a limit of a 2% increase to the tax assessment, not a 2% increase to the (school) budget. They set the 2% increase on the amount we can charge the taxpayers, based on about 14 million dollars, but the school
budget is actually 23 million dollars, so it’s really only a 1% increase in the budget.”
Next year’s maximum in- crease to Newfound District Schools’ budget is $285,512.
SCHOOL BUDGET
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VERY EXCELLENT
PLYMOUTH
BRISTOL DANBURY
HILL
NEW HAMPTON
SEVEN BIRCHES WINERY