Cara Meeker, Concord School Board

On Wednesday, the board had a special meeting to discuss the passage of the charter amendments in November. We invited our legal counsel to come and present their take on a couple of questions regarding the amendments’ applicability. The plan was pretty straightforward: hear from legal, discuss what legal had to say, and then open it up for public comment. Unfortunately, the night felt anything but straightforward.

Maybe it’s because I have a head cold and probably should have stayed in bed, but I feel like no one was really at their best that night (including me). We had a bit of heckling, the vibe felt tense. The board had options before us to discuss but didn’t really discuss them in depth. We finished off the night with (kind of?) a plan, but it wasn’t super clear that no doubt caused frustration. But it was an important meeting, so I want to at least document the major takeaways in the hopes of us having a shared understanding.

The Legal Part

To start, let me say that I think asking for advice from legal counsel was just the right thing to do. It’s just not a great strategy for the board to “wing it” when it comes to matters of finance, policy, and contract obligations. You should want us to get good legal advice so that we act within the law.

Based on the assessment of our legal counsel, the charter amendments are not currently in effect and will become effective on July 1, 2025 (per state law). Additionally, the amendments are not retroactive and do not apply to the decision made on the location of the new middle school in December 2023 (per state and case law). I agree with these determinations. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t act on them anyway.

Where the Board Goes From Here

The general agreement, without so much as saying so, was the board wants to take a clear stance and/or decisive action, regardless of the amendments’ effective date and application. The community has spoken with their vote, even if logistically the vote doesn’t do exactly what many people wanted. The options I personally see before the board are:

1) We respect the sentiment of the amendments and move the location back to the Rundlett site;

2) We respect the language of the amendments and hold a vote on the location in November 2025 or at a special election at a sooner date; or

3) We respect the legal interpretation of the amendments and make clear we are continuing on our current path of the design and construction process at Broken Ground.

Each of these options unfortunately come with a pushed out timeline for the opening of the school and an extra cost factor (on dollars already spent and/or new and inflationary expenses).

With option 1, we lose out on the time, work, and financial investment made in the Broken Ground site to date. With option 2, we freeze the project completely while we wait for an election, which just prolongs the timeline even further (and then who knows what happens in the off-chance building aid fully comes through and we aren’t ready). Option 3 would undoubtedly cause a renewed community outcry and all but ensure we will face litigation and/or vocal opposition for the entirety of the project, not to mention other projects the board will work on. During any litigation, we also risk losing access to building aid. (Again, this is my personal interpretation, not a representation of the board).

I am only one member of a board of nine, but I’m observing (perhaps like you are) that our members still have questions about the best path forward. But action will come soon, likely in January when the newest board member is seated and available to weigh in. Given what I see on the horizon and looking at which option gets us to our new school the fastest way possible and on a path of least resistance, I will be advocating for a return to the Rundlett site. I do think, though, that prior to that vote, the board has a duty to understand and provide updated information to the public about the cost and timeline of that option. The cost assessment of our various options was recommended by the board president and I agree. I suspect these updated numbers will not sway many hearts and minds to change their opinion of what the next steps should be. So, we’ll get that info, and we’ll be ready to make motions in January.

The Other Options

In reality, there are even more options that have popped up for the board to consider, but I’ll be honest that these are not my priority. I believe there are settled matters established by previous boards, but again I am only one of nine and am ready to tackle any issue that comes up.

Rebuild or refurbish: In 2017, there was a debate over refurbishing or rebuilding the school. The decision was made to build a new school. I do not support revisiting that discussion and want to move forward with a rebuild.

Merging with MVSD: There was a time when combining Concord School District with Merrimack Valley School District was up for discussion and did not proceed. A merger like this is a years-long process that is not currently in play. I do not think is a viable option at this time, especially given that I’m not sure anyone has even asked the board of MVSD about their take on it. If there is political will to renew that discussion, it will have to happen in addition to a new school being built.

Doing Nothing: There are some in the community that think we cannot afford this on any level, and that there are too many big-ticket items coming up for our city in the near future. But these big-ticket items are never going away and costs are only going up. We obviously have to be mindful about how much the community can take on at one time, but this is our city and these decisions are made to benefit Concord now and for the families of the future. We would not be doing our duty if we abandoned this work and kicked the can down the road.

At the end of the day, what I think we all want is to do what is best for our kids now and in the future. So, what is best? For me, it’s to continue to move forward with building a new school and then to prevent disruptions to learning and outdoor activities during the construction of that school. For all that’s been said, I do hold on to this idea of someday walking into a beautiful new school that this community built together and that we celebrate together.