Even as the new academic year begins this week, Claremont (N.H.) School District is grappling with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit that could force the cancellation of extracurricular activities.
As reported by ABC affiliate WMUR in Manchester, the school board plans to meet again next week after a contentious meeting Monday night during which officials were questioned by parents, teachers and students.
"There was a 15-year-old who asked a question: 'Where's the money?' And nobody could answer that question," said Claremont resident Joe Lowry. "So, to me, still, a lot of questions remain."
Per the reporting of WMUR's Maria Wilson, concerns and frustrations continue to grow as Claremont schools try to figure out how to deal with the multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.
"I'm going to try to make this really, really blunt," attorney Jim O'Shaughnessy said at Monday's meeting. "If people don't come forward with money, there are not going to be fall sports, winter sports or spring sports. This is dire."
"We haven't heard what the actual hole is we're trying to fill in," one parent said. "We haven't heard why this happened."
"You knew we were in debt, and you're not doing anything until now when we are literally in the hole," said Stevens High School senior Lilianna Clarke.
According to Wilson, the board said it's cutting 20 positions, including custodians and secretaries. It also directed the acting business administrator to cut costs by eliminating non-mandatory extracurricular programs.
"The ripple-down effect is going to be insurmountable to regain," Lowry said. "As a former coach, as a former student-athlete, it is a huge, huge thing to be a part of."
"I'm afraid to say, the city of Claremont, they're going to get set back 35 years," Lowry added. "We had teachers speak. We had students speak. There were people that were sad. People left crying. I've never seen anything like this."
The district's athletic director said he believes fall sports can start on schedule, according to Wilson, but what happens after that is unclear.
"The school board will meet again on Wednesday," she reported. "According to an agenda for that meeting, the board will consider whether to accept private donations and plans to weigh whether to take on debt in anticipation of potential state grant money."
