Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition:
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Stratham Select Board
Mike Houghton, Chair Allison Knab, Vice Chair Joe Anderson
ELECTION INFORMATION
Be sure to mark your calendar with these important dates:
CLERK'S CORNER
Commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary of Independence with a State of New Hampshire commemorative cover plate, more information can be found here
Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office Closing Early – February 25
Please note that the Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office will close at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, February 25 to allow for the testing of the Town’s new VotingWorks ballot counting device. This device will be used in the upcoming March Town Election. The public is invited to attend this informative and transparent testing process. Testing will begin at 1:00 PM in the vestibule of the Municipal Center. We appreciate your understanding and encourage residents to attend if interested in learning more about the new equipment. This event is open to the public.
Supervisors of the Checklist Session
The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session on Saturday, February 28th from 10-10:30am in the Land Use Room in the Stratham Municipal Center for voter registration purposes and to accept changes to the checklist. If registering to vote, residents MUST provide a photo ID (ex. driver’s license), proof of residency (ex. piece of mail or signed lease), and proof of citizenship (ex. birth certificate or US passport). For name and address changes, residents must provide appropriate documentation reflecting the change.
WIN BIG AND SUPPORT THE STRATHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT
Your raffle ticket purchase provides a chance to win two (2) round trip airline tickets to anywhere JetBlue flies! Click here for more information. Your donation goes towards the purchase of a mechanical ventilator, allowing Stratham EMS responders to provide a higher level of care for our community. Tickets are valued up to $1000 and are valid until 12-31-26. Only 100 tickets will be sold! Some black out dates may apply. If you would prefer to make a straight donation towards the purchase of a ventilator, click the donate button. Thank you for your support!
STRATHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY - SCHOLARSHIPS
The Stratham Historical Society is pleased to announce that applications for the Society's Winfield L. Foote Awards for Academic Excellence are now underway. Applicants from SAU16 students at the following levels will be considered: 2026 graduating high school seniors (and Stratham residents graduating from private schools), rising college juniors and seniors, and graduate students (dissertation/thesis award). More information and application instructions can be found on the Stratham Historical Society Scholarship page. Applications are due April 1. To date, the Winfield L. Foote Scholarships for Academic Excellence program has awarded over $130,000 to local students.
UPDATED BUILDING PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE
Please be advised that the permit fee schedule changed January 1, 2026. If you are planning any projects that require a permit, make sure to review the new rates before submitting your application. For details, visit the Building Department website page under Fee Schedule or contact the Building Department at 603-772-7391 X180.
HERITAGE COMMISSION PROGRAM
The Story of Stuart Farm
If you've ever wondered about the rolling fields and maple-lined laneway nestled on the edge of the Squamscot River estuary, now is your opportunity to learn about this picturesque farm's dramatic evolution over four centuries. Presentation will be given on Friday, April 10, at 7:00pm in the Morgera Room at the Stratham Fire Station. Flyer here.
STRATHAM MEMORIAL SCHOOL BOARD
The Board had a long discussion about the budget and to save taxpayers money, they voted to reduce the FY27 (school year ‘26-27) by $106,000. The overall budget is now 12.3% over last year’s budget, details below and more information available on the SMS website. Vote on the budget and the warrant article for the Teachers Union contract on Wednesday, March 4th at 6pm at SMS.
While the Board doesn’t have a crystal ball, they are estimating that this will be an average yearly increase of $560 (roughly an extra $47 per month) for a home valued at the average of $834,000, or 12.3% higher than this year’s taxes for just the SMS portion of the local school effort (40%) of your bill.
The Board hosted a tax info session on 2/10 and here is a link to the 1 hour long video with accompanying slides attached.
For more, please see the full meeting minutes here. For questions, email Board Chair Jennifer Scrafford at jscrafford@sau16.org.
