By Ryan O'Connor
Staff Writer

Goffstown School District Meeting is Monday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., at Goffstown High School.

The bad news is that Goffstown residents attending the annual deliberative session of School District Meeting on Monday, Feb. 6, will be presented with an article asking for more financing to go toward the new kindergarten facility. The good news is that the money will not be coming out of their own pockets.

The 2006 school district warrant, which features two articles and one petitioned article for the town to vote on, will ask residents to approve an appropriation of $306,510, which will have no tax impact, but be funded through the New Hampshire State Building Aid and Kindergarten Aid program.

According to the article, the additional funds are necessary due to a delay in litigation and needed to furnish and equip the 10-classroom facility, scheduled to open in October.

“We do expect to receive the state aid for it and we need it as a result of the delays due to abutter disputes in litigation and increased construction costs,” said Ellen Vermokowitz, school board Chairman. “It will cost the tax payer nothing.”

In addition to the kindergarten funds, the warrant also asks voters to approve an operating budget for Goffstown's schools of $33,114,203. This year's operating costs represent an increase of approximately 2.2 percent over last year. Should the article be voted down on March 14, the default budget would be the same as last year's budget, with the exception of certain items mandated by law or contract.

The school board, however, plans to present an amendment at the deliberative session reducing the operating budget by $200,000.

Vermokowitz said the board will put forward the amendment to ease the tax impact of the new kindergarten and unexpected 27 percent increase in insurance benefits for the school district, both of which are factored into the operating budget. She said if one were to subtract the cost of operating the kindergarten, then budget would actually be below the default.

“The board felt that we can continue to operate our existing four schools and open the kindergarten, while still reducing it (the budget) by another $200,000,” said Vermokowitz.

“We felt that we could and can do this, so we decided that will do this to help the taxpayers.”

This year's meeting will take place on Monday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m., at Goffstown High School.