Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition:
To sign-up for these updates and other notifications, please visit this section on our website and check the "Select Board" box under News and Announcements.
The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chair Allison Knab, Vice-Chair Joe Anderson
Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
FILING INFORMATION FOR TOWN, SMS, AND ERCSD POSITIONS
Below is a series of upcoming meetings, public hearings and Town Meeting dates.
Town Meeting - Saturday, March 15 at Stratham Memorial School at 9:00am.
Stratham Elementary School District Budget & Voting Flyer
Exeter Region Cooperative School District Budget & Voting Flyer
Click here to go to our Town Meeting page
Residents may have read with great interest the recent article about a new paramedic intercept service being discussed that would replace the previous arrangement in the region with Exeter ALS. These discussions represent a promising future for critical life-saving services in the region, including Stratham. We are following these developments closely and will keep the public informed. Meanwhile, our preparations for beginning a paramedic program in Stratham continue.
Stratham Rec Summer Camp 2025
Registration for 2025 Day Camp will have a staggered schedule
STRATHAM MEMORIAL SCHOOL BOARD NEWS FROM DECEMBER:
The building renovation plans have developed to address many urgent needs including replacing the boilers, updating HVAC, enlarging the cafeteria and nurses area, reconfiguring the front office area to improve security, a new roof, adding additional educational space, sprinkling the school, bringing the school up to code and ADA code, replacing lights to LEDs and more(!). The Building Committee and Careno Construction have worked tirelessly on the budget to reduce it from $55 Million to just $12 Million without compromising on safety or quality. There will be six public presentations to understand the details of the renovation which will be published soon. The town will vote on the bond on March 4th; the night of the School District (SMS) Town Meeting on which the budget and other articles will be voted.
The Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) asked many questions about the budget. The board provided an early retirement incentive to teachers that qualify that will result in at least $272,000 decrease to the proposed ‘25 budget, for an overall 2.78% increase over last year (down from proposed 4.9%). A leading driver of budget increases are special education costs. Dr. Andriski shared a letter from the Commissioner of Education informing us that the state has sought reimbursement for special education aid at $50,273,602 and the state is currently only appropriating $33,917,000 which results in 67.5% proration and ultimately will cause all local districts to incorporate that reduction in reimbursement in future budgets.
At our December Board meeting, there were many public comments about the renovation and budget, both in support and opposed. Next meeting will focus on the budget, special education costs and student data reports. The Board will also be offered updates on the PFOA issue and bus routes.
For more, please see the full meeting minutes here.
For questions, email Board Chair Jennifer Scrafford at jscrafford@sau16.org. Our next board meeting will be Wednesday, January 8th at 6pm for a public hearing about the ‘25 budget.
On Friday, February 7, 2025 at 7:00 pm at the Stratham Fire Station, 4 Winnicutt Road, Monica Reuss, American Art Specialist and Nathan Merrill, Heritage Commission Chair will present: An American Impressionist in Stratham: Childe Hassam's Pastoral Views. This event is free and open to the public.
Important American artist Childe Hassam visited friends in Stratham regularly between 1900-1918. Join us in exploring 30 of his works created locally, featuring landmarks such as Stratham Hill, the Squamscott River, Newfields Village, Stuart Farm, and more. Presented alongside contemporary and historical photographs, these rarely shown works bring the area's rural history and beauty to life. View the flyer here.
