“We really want to make the selectmen and the school board television stars"

Residents vote down video production warrant article

SARAH SCHMIDT

SSCHMIDT@SALMONPRESS.COM

The Meredith News March 19, 2009

MOULTONBORO — After passing a $13 million budgetand other monetary budget items, it was an article for student audio/visual classes without funding attached that residents debated on for the greatest length of time, eventually voting it down. A petitioned warrant article on the Moultonboro School District Warrant asked residents to decide whether to create an educational program for students to record, produce, and broadcast Moultonboro Town and School public meetings before the end of 2010. “We really want to make the selectmen and the school board television stars,” said Jim Morrison, speaking in favor of the article. “This is all about the process of education, all about teaching the students and giving them tangible new skills. We live in a world of new media.” Morrison pointed out in the school’s 2008 assessment report that 41 percent of graduates agreed that Moultonboro Academy had prepared them to enter the work force in a “good or excellent” manner. He said that giving students the ability to study audio and visual technology would help to better prepare them for the work force. Passing the article would “kill two birds with one stone,” Morrison said. Al Hume also spoke in favor of the article, noting that the game won by the Moultonboro Academy boy’s basketball team could have been broadcast on local cable to residents. School Board Chair William Blackadar spoke against the article, however, and said that the board hoped that the residents would vote against the article. If they wished, students at Moultonboro Academy could enroll in a video program at the vocational school in Wolfeboro. “This is an educational program without much envisioned at this time,” said

Blackadar. “We prefer not to have the education program dictated to us.” Advisory Budget Committee Chair Jean Beadle also spoke against the article and said that before the issue could be seriously considered, the total cost of teachers and equipment should be studied and brought before the town. The article was defeated in a voice vote. The entire meeting finished in about 30 minutes. Residents approved the $13,826,135 budget for the Moultonboro School District, along with $50,000 for the buildings and grounds expendable trust fund, and $2,000 for the “Chele” Environmental fund.