Manchester-Essex Regional School District School Committee Meeting | November 3, 2026

The Manchester-Essex Regional School District School Committee met on November 3, 2026. The committee reviewed outreach for the Essex Elementary building project ahead of upcoming town meetings and a debt-exclusion vote. Members discussed project information and the feasibility study, including the district’s inability to use public school funds for a mass mailing of materials tied to the ballot campaign; project resources are available online and handouts may be provided at public meetings. No construction contract, bid, or vendor award was considered. The quarterly FY27 financial update reported $6.26 million spent, or 18% of the budget, as of September 30; personnel expenditures were $2.1 million and operating expenses $4.1 million. The stabilization fund stood at $960,000 after funding the district share of the Essex Elementary feasibility study. FY28 budget planning is underway, with a draft expected November 25 and a budget hearing scheduled for December 9.

The committee approved the consent agenda, including the October 20 minutes and a payroll voucher, and voted to authorize a member to submit a committee letter to local newspapers. The teachers association president asked that bargaining for Units A and B be conducted together as much as possible and identified a living wage for paraprofessionals as a goal; the negotiation team had not yet met. The committee also discussed upcoming policy reviews and a possible future discussion of school choice and fees, but no procurement action or contract approval was identified.