By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
CLAREMONT — The late Paul Marro loved his years at Stevens High School and his time on the football team and in theater, so he bequeathed $25,000 to the two programs.
Stevens High School football coaches appeared at the Wednesday night school board meeting so they could personally thank the Marro family.
“It’s unbelievably generous,” said one. “We have headphones now we can’t even hear through — it’s one of the first things we’re going to get, and it will really help the kids when we can hear each other at the games.”
Arline Marro said her brother-in-law also loved the great theater productions at the school, and urged the district to use the money to put on more great plays.
Paul Marro graduated from Stevens in 1958 and went on to play football at University of New Hampshire before going on to a successful business career.
Student report
Student representative Jesse Baril gave a lengthy report on doings at the schools, including the successful blood drive held at Stevens Wednesday.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to donate blood,” said Baril. The event was sponsored by the National Honor Society, which counted 43 donors.
Procedural defect
In other school board news, the Department of Revenue Administration faulted the SAU#6 district for a “procedural defect” and the district must take steps to remedy that.
Acting superintendent Cory LeClair explained that the forms for the MS26 (draft budget) and default budget were not posted properly in advance of town meeting. The deadline to post them was January 28, and the notices are usually posted in the city hall and various other places around town. However, the rest of the budget process was followed.
To remedy the procedural defect, the district must post a new warrant and hold another meeting. The procedural defect meeting will be like a town meeting in that there will be a moderator and the supervisors of the checklist. Citizens will be asked to ratify the results of the March 12 meeting.
“The vote can’t change the budget,” said LeClair. “It’s only to ratify the budget.”
“What if no registered voters show up?” asked school board member Rebecca Zullo.
“We are registered voters,” said LeClair, indicating herself and the school board. “We can vote.”
Insurance rate cap
The other item of business was a request from Primex, the New Hampshire Public Risk Management Exchange, for a three-year agreement that would cap any rise in the district’s insurance premium at 7 percent.
According to the letter from Primex, “The percentage listed is a maximum increase; actual increases will not exceed that percentage and may be lower, based on each member’s performance.”
School board member Jason Benware said he’d like to know first what the increases have been over the last five years.
“I’ve had the same homeowners insurance for several years and it always goes up, but my risk stays the same,” he said.
The board decided to table the item until they had more information on previous premium increases.
“I can get that,” said LeClair.
Editor’s note: this article has been corrected from the print version, which incorrectly identified Paul Marro as Arline Marro’s husband. Her husband was the late Nick Marro.
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