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Thompson School District board meeting, Aug 10, 2026

1 h 59 min · 0 public speakers

AI in schools ▶ 1:15:00Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 28:39Enrollment ▶ 31:18Reading and test scores ▶ 46:01

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 59 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
  6. Jessica BolteChairman
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Thompson school board approves part and upgrade repair as presented 1:32:38

  • A presenter reviewed spring survey results from students, staff and families, and board members asked questions and commented on communication and behavior findings. 7:47
  • The board also approved prices of $3.25 for elementary school and $3.65 for middle and high school for the '26-'27 school year. 1:51:56

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

Item by item (10)
  1. Opening, minutes and agenda changes 0:00
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and Jessica Bolte said no members of the public were present in the room or on Zoom for citizens' comments. 0:00
    • Jessica Bolte asked that the minutes be corrected to fix a misspelled name and to state a $30,000 high school item as NEASC rather than manufacturing welding. 2:59
    • Board members moved to add the finance director and facilities reports under old business and a paid lunch increase under new business. 5:08
    • The board approved the corrected minutes and then the minutes of the July 20th special meeting. 3:26
  2. Spring survey results presentation 6:14
    • The superintendent said family participation in the spring survey was low this year, and a presenter said student response was nearly 70% while middle school engagement was 7% favorable. 6:16
    • One board member said they were disappointed that there is a perception the district does not communicate and asked to hear feedback from parents. 25:59
    • A staff member said communications would be funneled through PowerSchool this year and principals would present culture and climate plans to the board by month. 28:12
  3. Enrollment report and career pathways 31:18
    • A staff member reported 750 students district-wide, 61 kindergarten students in 3 classes, 268 at the middle school and 152 at the high school, plus 3 new out-of-district placements. 31:22
    • Matthew Polsky asked whether 9th grade numbers could rise, and a staff member said 1 or 2 students often return from other schools. 33:23
    • A staff member said the district cannot sustain many career pathways alone and that area districts should specialize and share students. 40:58
  4. Finance director report 51:52
    • A staff member reported year-to-date spending at 98% of the budget and a projection of $21.7 million, or 99.8% of the budget. 52:08
    • The staff member said the pupil service deficit estimate dropped to $170,000 and that auditors' interim testing of student activity funds came back clean. 52:08
  5. Facilities report 1:03:53
    • A new facilities director was introduced and said the oil pumps that run multiple boilers in the middle school area keep failing and the building would lose heat if they fail. 1:03:56
    • A staff member said a used kitchen steamer was returned to the vendor and a new steamer was purchased. 1:13:18
  6. Student handbook approval 1:14:56
    • Kristin Schultz said no handbook materials had arrived by email, and a staff member said the changes were minor. 1:17:53
    • Kathleen Herbert moved to approve it with the minor changes, the addition and the dress code the board had already approved. 1:20:14
    • The motion passed. ~1:20:43
  7. Non-union salary increases 1:21:36
    • A staff member said non-union salary increases are on the agenda every August, and a speaker said the budget was set for 3%. 1:21:41
    • A staff member said the town holds non-union raises until its budget passes and pays them retroactively, and a speaker asked to postpone the item to September. 1:23:24
  8. Oil pump replacement 1:25:19
    • The superintendent said the board received 2 quotes, including about $14,000 to tie the pumps into the new control system, for a total around $77,000. 1:25:19
    • Matthew Polsky moved to approve the pump replacement and control system tie-in as presented, with funding drawn from non-lapsing accounts and the balance found later. 1:32:38
    • The motion passed. ~1:34:50
  9. Paid lunch price increase 1:35:35
    • A staff member said the average meal price around the state is $4.16 and that raising prices at least 15 cents had been discussed. 1:35:41
    • Matthew Polsky asked whether 20 cents instead of 15 would be out of the question, and a staff member said it would not. 1:44:21
    • A motion set elementary lunch at $3.25 and middle and high school lunch at $3.65 for the '26-'27 school year. 1:51:56
    • The motion passed. ~1:52:18
  10. Correspondence, comments and budget process 1:52:38
    • Jessica Bolte noted a thank-you card in the packet and said no members of the public spoke at the second citizens' comments. 1:52:38
    • A staff member said setting the mill rate does not provide a line item budget, so the district defaults to the '26 line items and cannot spend on anything new in the '27 budget until it passes. 1:56:52

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 “Thompson BOE Meeting - August 10, 2026”