H-D board set to appoint Deering resident

Although only she was the only Deering resident present at Monday’s Hillsboro-Deering school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Barbara Baker was adamantly in favor of the board appointing a member to fill the seat left by Kathy Pepper. A Meet the Candidates Hour will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15. Letters of interest may be submitted until 5 p.m. Dec. 12.
The seat left by Pepper may only be filled by a Deering resident. Since her resignation was announced on Nov. 17, to be effective Nov. 28, board members have been weighing whether appointing someone to fill the vacancy would be appropriate or not, considering how little time any new member would have to get up to speed on the budget.
Also, with elections around the corner in March, some board members felt the seat would be filled soon enough by means of an election.
Board member John Segedy was charged with asking for advice from the New Hampshire School Boards Association.
“The law is very vague,” said Segedy, who added that Attorney Barrett Christina of the School Boards Association told him the board either wait for the elections or appoint a new member until then. “He said we could do either. But it could be the end of January by the time we advertise and then make a decision.”
“Were there any other candidates from Deering when Babette Haley was replaced?” asked high school teacher John Bramley.
Haley’s seat was an at-large seat and could have been filled by a Deering resident, but none had applied for the position.
“If the board refuses to act, then the Deering selectmen could appoint a resident to the school board,” Dr. Baker, who also spoke with Attorney Christina. “You don’t have to advertise because you have the power to appoint.”
Some members pointed out that appointing someone now, so close to the March elections, could give that person an unfair advantage if they decided to run to keep the seat. But Dr. Baker challenged this opinion.
“Did Rich [Pelletier] get an unfair advantage by being appointed? Would it be an unfair advantage to someone who wants to run?” Dr. Baker queried.
Pelletier was appointed to fill Haley’s seat after she stepped down in June. He has not committed to running to keep his seat in March.
“It does sound like you could act on this pretty quickly,” said Hillsborough resident Terry Cutter. “If it were Hillsborough, I’d want to have someone on the board representing us.”
Several names were mentioned, including former board member Stephen Waters, now retired, who would likely not choose to run to keep the seat.
“Because names have been mentioned, I think it would only be fair to advertise,” said chairman of the school board, Paul Plater.
“Do we really feel we need someone?” Pelletier asked the other board members, who also expressed his concern that if they did appoint someone that it may “look to the public like we hand-picked somebody.”
But Pelletier’s concern appeared to pale compared to public concern over Deering having representation.
Segedy moved to advertise the opening on the board in area papers. The board voted in favor of doing so.
Dr. Baker pointed out that the new board member would have to be up to speed with the budget by Jan. 5, when the budget is scheduled to be finalized.
The school board intends to hold their regularly scheduled meeting after the Meet the Candidates Hour on Dec. 16. At the end of that meeting, the board members will hold a non-public meeting to decide which candidate from Deering to appoint.
On Dec. 17, the new Deering representative on the school board will be given the Big Book in which the budget proposed by the administration and reviewed by the school district’s attorney is outlined in detail.