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Seabrook School District work session, Aug 11, 2026

1 h 23 min · 0 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 23 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Seabrook school board holds retreat on values, communication and collaboration 0:00

  • A speaker listed growth, responsibility, integrity, community and trust and asked whether everybody was okay with that, and a speaker said yes. 22:19
  • Speakers proposed having student presentations come before public comment and reviewing the public comment policy at the start of meetings. 26:45
  • A motion to adjourn was made and seconded, and no result was announced. 1:22:48

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (14)
  1. Opening 0:00
    • The retreat opened at 5:02 with the Pledge of Allegiance. 0:00
  2. Retreat agenda and reasons for serving 0:45
    • A staff member said the retreat was modeled on a prior retreat meant to build alignment on shared values, strengthen communication and improve collaboration. 0:45
    • Michele Knowles said they had served on the school board before, are the tax collector and have lived in the community most of a lifetime. 2:54
    • One board member said retention was something to work on so staff would want to stay. 6:45
  3. Board norms 7:12
    • A staff member listed common norms such as speaking respectfully, one person speaking at a time and assuming good intentions. 7:12
    • A speaker said the biggest norm was mutual respect and said the shared goal was the kids. 7:36
  4. Shared values exercise 8:24
    • A staff member asked each participant to identify five top values and then work together to identify the board's top values. 8:24
    • A speaker said responsibility could cover financial stability, safety, learning and service. 15:58
    • A speaker listed growth, responsibility, integrity, community and trust and asked whether everyone was okay with that, and a speaker said yes. 22:19
  5. Public comment and chain of command 22:44
    • A speaker said students should get priority on the agenda so their presentations are done before public comment. 26:45
    • A staff member said the staff member follows policy and sends people back through the chain of command. 34:51
    • A staff member said that when people make comments at meetings, the board could let them speak and say someone will follow up, without engaging. 41:48
  6. Student behavior and cyberbullying 49:12
    • A staff member said cyberbullying happens when kids go home and said a parent series had been put together for the year. 49:45
    • A staff member said the district was trying to partner with Seacoast Mental Health so the series would be broader and community-based. 50:09
    • A staff member said the middle school was doing a reboot with PBS and some incentives. 55:56
  7. Student activities 57:36
    • A speaker said the district needed to do better to include more students in activities and suggested a forum night. 57:36
    • A staff member said activities had been reduced as budgets were reduced and partly because staff do not necessarily want to devote the time. 59:20
    • A staff member said Art Honor Society and elementary yearbooks had been added, and a speaker said student council had been added. 1:01:23
  8. Board value statement and goals 1:02:49
    • A staff member offered to draft a value statement using the board's shared values. 1:03:07
    • A staff member said the board's previously adopted goals and measures were included and suggested remeasuring between now and December. 1:04:03
  9. Weekly newsletters to board members 1:05:07
    • A speaker asked to be added to a weekly newsletter that goes to parents so board members could see what is going on. 1:05:46
  10. Public comment procedures and agenda order 1:06:22
    • A speaker said child presentations should go before public comment as part of protocol. 1:08:35
    • A staff member said public comment had been moved to the beginning because of a law change requiring 30 minutes, and said it did not have to be the last item. 1:16:11
    • A speaker said the topic could be discussed when setting the agenda for next week's meeting. 1:19:02
  11. Board message to the community 1:11:18
    • A staff member suggested a welcome message to parents at the start of the school year about partnering with administrators to support student growth. 1:11:18
    • A speaker offered to draft something and bring it back to the board next week. 1:11:56
  12. Goals and measures review 1:19:10
    • A staff member said agendas should include a plan to measure the goals before December. 1:19:31
  13. Budget reserves 1:21:15
    • A staff member said an encumbrance was not needed, so the district may be a little better off, and said less of the reserves will have been used than planned. 1:21:35
    • A staff member said the district was already tight. ~1:22:10
  14. Adjournment 1:22:35
    • Public comment was closed at 6:24. 1:22:41
    • A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. 1:22:48

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Seabrook School District School Board Retreat - August 11, 2026”