The ConVal School Board would like to share the following information regarding the outcome of votes taken by the Withdrawal Study Committee.

• To the question, is the full committee ready to vote or is more time and information needed to make a determination, the committee voted 12 - 3 in favor of being ready to take a vote.

• To the question, is it both feasible and suitable for the town of Dublin to withdraw from the ConVal School District, the committee voted 9-6 to “Not Recommend” withdrawal.

• To the question, is it both feasible and suitable for the town of Francestown to withdraw from the ConVal School District, the committee voted 8-7 to “Not Recommend” withdrawal.

Since the committee did not recommend withdrawal for either town, it must file a final report for its decision regarding both Dublin and Francestown with the State Board of Education, as well as the ConVal School Board. Upon doing so the Withdrawal Study Committee is dissolved. RSA 195:25, IV. These reports must be submitted to the State Board of Education by Oct 22, 2024.

Members of the committee who voted to recommend withdrawal may file a minority report with the ConVal School Board and the State Board of Education recommending withdrawal. This report must be filed by October 22, 2024. They must also develop a withdrawal plan and submit the plan to the State Board of Education by November 1, 2024. If the School Board disagrees with a recommendation to withdraw issued by a minority on the Withdrawal Study Committee, it may appear before the State Board of Education and oppose that recommendation. If the State Board of Education approves the withdrawal plan, residents will vote on the withdrawal plan on March 11, 2025.

If the article does not receive a majority of votes from the preexisting district(s) seeking to withdraw, then the withdrawal process is terminated. RSA 195:29, I. If the article passes in the preexisting district(s) seeking to withdraw and a majority of voters in the entire cooperative district vote in favor of the article, then withdrawal will pass (RSA 195:29 II).

If a three-fifths supermajority of the voters in the withdrawing preexisting district vote in favor of withdrawal, then the withdrawal vote will pass unless a three-fifths majority of voters for the entire cooperative district vote against withdrawal. RSA 195:29 III. If the vote to withdraw passes, the withdrawal takes effect on July 1st, 2026.

While the Withdrawal Study Committee will dissolve upon filing its final reports, the Financial Subcommittee will continue to meet over the coming months. The Subcommittee will continue its work of analyzing the impacts of withdrawal on all parties. The School Board and the Financial Subcommittee are dedicated to pursuing and disseminating the most accurate information possible. Dates and times of future Financial Subcommittee meetings will be determined and posted on the school board website.

Minutes from the meetings of the Withdrawal Study Committee can be found on the School Board’s website here.

The ConVal School Board would like to share the following information regarding the warrant articles approved and filed by two member communities, Dublin and Francestown, to study withdrawal from the school district.

As part of this process, a committee was formed to study the feasibility and suitability of withdrawal. The committee consists of one school board member from each of the nine ConVal towns and one Select Board member from each of the nine ConVal towns. The makeup of the committee is dictated by state statute.

In the coming weeks, the feasibility and suitability of Dublin and Francestown withdrawing from the ConVal School District and forming their own school district will be evaluated separately and reported on separately. The committee must report its findings for each town to the State Board of Education by October 22, 2024, indicating whether withdrawal from the school district “is recommended, not recommended, or whether more time and information are needed to make a determination” (RSA 195:25, II).

If the committee recommends withdrawal for both towns, the committee must develop a withdrawal plan for each town and file the plans with the State Board of Education by November 1, 2024. Should the State Board of Education approve the withdrawal plans, residents will vote on the issue on March 11, 2025.

Should the committee recommend withdrawal for one town but not the other, the committee must file a report with the State Board of Education for each town, but it would only develop and submit a plan for the town for which withdrawal was recommended.

Should the committee not recommend withdrawal for either town, it must file reports for each town with the State Board of Education, as well as the ConVal School Board, and the committee is then dissolved (RSA 195:25, IV).

When withdrawal is not recommended by the committee, members of the committee who voted to recommend withdrawal may file a minority report with the ConVal School Board and the State Board of Education recommending withdrawal. This report must be filed by October 22, 2024. They must also develop a withdrawal plan and submit the plan to the State Board of Education by November 1, 2024. If the State Board of Education approves the withdrawal plan, residents will vote on the withdrawal plan on March 11, 2025.

More information will follow after the withdrawal committee makes its findings. The withdrawal committee meets in the SAU Boardroom at 6:00 PM on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. These meetings are open to the public, and minutes from the meeting can be found on the School Board’s website here.