Resignation Note Earns Applause: Ian Underwood Leaves Post on Croydon Selectboard

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CROYDON — The town of Croydon received a selectboard resignation, as well as a new appointment, amid discussion over use of the town hall.

Selectboard member Ian Underwood resigned from his position via letter that was read during the meeting on August 24, 2022. Croydon resident Amie Freak was voted in to fill the position.

“I resign my position as selectman in Croydon, New Hampshire effective immediately,” wrote Underwood in a letter dated 8/16/22.

Underwood, a member of the Free State Project, was under scrutiny earlier this year when he claimed that the town’s school budget of $1.7 million was “ransom” and moved to cut it down to $800,000. The decision was eventually overturned by Croydon residents to reinstate the original budget, but many were left feeling as though Underwood didn’t have the town’s best interest at heart.

Underwood stated that he felt as though the taxes for education had risen but quality of education had not, while others felt as though his decision was an attempt to defund public schools. Underwood’s proposed budget would have left $10,000 per student for tuition rather than the traditional $18,000, which is roughly the cost to attend local schools such as Newport Middle High School. Underwood’s resignation letter was met with considerable applause from the audience at the town’s selectboard meeting.

However, before a new member could be appointed, letters insisting the town should allow the town hall to be used for homeschooling three days a week at no additional cost were presented to the selectboard. The town has a standing fee of $75 per day for use of the town hall, but some residents claim that at a prior selectboard meeting, a motion was passed to allow free use of the town hall for education purposes.

“The selectboard should support the request to use the town without charge for an education cooperative. First the board has already given permission to Croydon residents to use the town hall without charge for educational purposes. This clearly falls under that, so the presumptive answer has to be yes,” read one letter.

Residents who were in favor of using the town hall for homeschooling claim that it will be fiscally beneficial to the town, as it would be potentially less costly to homeschool the children at the town hall than send them to a public school. According to one of those residents, the children are elementary age and not all of them are Croydon residents.

“Families interested in using the town hall weren’t sure what form the education was going to take but weren’t certain if that would be micro schooling. They eventually decided that they wouldn’t pursue micro schools,” school board member Aaron McKeon clarified at the meeting.

Use of the town hall for homeschooling raised concerns among many residents of Croydon that will have to be investigated by the members of the selectboard including cost of heating during those school hours, insurance, snow removal, and whether kids whose families do not reside in Croydon should be able to attend. The logistics of how homeschooling at the town hall would be accomplished will remain to be seen, as are the minutes from the meeting confirming that the selectboard decided to allow free use for education purposes for the town hall.

The selectboard was able to fill Underwood’s position before the close of the meeting. At the meeting, selectboard member Joe Marko said, “She worked hard to stand up for Croydon. She came through looking to solve problems and solve issues,” in regard to Freak. He also went on to say, “I gave her the RSA’s and she did the work and found her own answers and I think that puts her way above anyone else,” in regard to prior issues experienced by the town of Croydon. Freak has also filled Underwood’s position on the Zoning Board for Croydon.