FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2011

Contact:

Chris Buck
Dover Republican Committee Chairman
603-865-1918
ChrisBuck@DoverGOP.org
www.DoverGOP.org

Dover School Budget Process Leaves Much to be Desired

Dover – Dover Republican Committee Chairman Chris Buck is calling on the Dover School
Board to consider improving its process for communicating with voters about important budget
meetings. The School Board will discuss the proposed budget on two dates, Monday March 7
and the following Monday, March 14, at which time they must produce a budget ready to be sent
to the City Council for approval. What many voters are not aware of, including City Councilors
and constituents, is that at their last meeting the School Board voted to amend the workshop
session scheduled for this coming Monday to allow individual line-item votes on the budget,
rather than waiting until the 14th to vote on the budget as a whole.

“This is completely irresponsible,” said Buck. “School Board members are just getting revised
copies of the proposed budget this past Friday, and they’re going to be voting on up to a $5
million increase by Monday. That does not give adequate time to School Board members to
fully consider the arguments for increasing or cutting the budget, let alone any meaningful
opportunity for constituents to have a voice in the process.”

One School Board member, Roberty McCrory, said that he just received a copy of the revised
budget on Saturday, the 5th, and is expected to both speak with constituents and come up with
recommendations by the 7th. “It’s not the sort of timeframe that I would like for making millions
of dollars worth of votes and a 7-0 budget will look much different than a 4-3 budget, as last
year's was” said McCrory. “The budget process is unsatisfactory in that it tends to result in
increased spending to fund new priorities instead of simply reallocating money within the
existing total.”

In addition to the short timeframe allotted for public input, the Superintendent has been criticized
by some for proposing multiple budgets, one as high as 9.9% and another “bare bones” budget of
2.3%. The issue came up for discussion both at last week’s City Council meeting and Saturday’s
coffee with the Mayor. “It’s deceptive,” said one commentator to the Mayor. “It’s proposing a
really high budget and a lower budget with the hopes of getting one in the middle, and there are
some of us in Dover that believe the city can’t afford any increase at all.”

“These are lean times,” said Buck, “and the School Board has to appreciate that ‘revenue’
doesn’t grow on trees. Proponents of increasing the school budget use the word ‘revenue’ as if
they were referring to a business, but these are tax dollars that people worked hard for, and in
some cases are paying through property taxes even though they are unemployed.”

Within the last 6 years, the school budget has increased every year, but gradually each of
Dover’s 5 schools has been declared a “school in need” by the State, which measures
proficiencies in basic subjects. Since 2007, assessed property values have declined each year,
meaning there is less money to pay for increases in the school budget (Report of Assessed
Values and Tax Processes for Year 2010, 10/31/2010).

Interested citizens can attend the next School Board meeting on March 7 at 6:30pm in the City
Council chambers.

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