The published goal of The Walpolean is “Keeping the community up to date on community topics”.  In view of that, it has come to my attention that a number of people thought that School Board members were elected as representatives of their town to the regional school board.  As someone who (while not born here) has been around for many years, I would like to take the opportunity to clarify “the topic”.

When the School District was conceived this was, indeed the case. Langdon and Acworth each had one representative, Alstead had two, Charlestown and Walpole had three.  Each was elected by the people in their respective town.  

In 1987, the following amendment was made to the Articles of Agreement:

The main reason for the change was to create a more manageable number of Board members. (Considering the difficulty we experience in getting people to run for office, I would say the change was a good thing!)  The reason for “at large voting” was to assure that each town had a resident at the table and that the change met the principle of “one man, one vote”.

I hope that helps. – Lil

It seems like we seldom have a race for a local election. This year we have one for school board. Meet Tom Ronning. – Lil

Name:              Thomas H. Ronning

Position:          Fall Mountain Regional School District School Board

Walpole Representative

I have placed my name on the ballot to represent the Town of Walpole as their representative on the Fall Mountain Regional School District’s Board of Education because I am passionate about the ever-changing educational needs of the youth in our community. I believe I have the knowledge and experience to continuing moving our school district forward in order to meet the needs of all students.  A few points of interest about myself:

• Three decades of experience as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal.
• When requested, I have acted in the capacity of Superintendent of School’s.
• I have been a member of the Alternative 3, Alternative 4 Certification Boards and the Principal’s Task Force to develop an effective evaluation template for the NH Department of Education.
• I served as the School Board Chair for The Granite Hill School in Newport, NH for 16 years.
• I have been involved with the New England Association of School’s and Colleges during the accreditation process for 4 schools.
• I have served as the North Walpole Village moderator, Zoning Board Chair and been active in my church.

Having been involved with the creation of the “Vision of the Graduate” in our school district, I believe it is right in line with New Hampshire’s Community College System’s goal to attract, grow, and retain businesses in NH.  In order to do this, we must first train our youth and have the expectations for them to remain in the State of NH.  The belief of the Community College System is to ensure that our state has sixty-five (65) percent of adults twenty-five (25) and older “well equipped to success in the community, the nation and world” by the year 2025.  Fall Mountain has the ability to achieve this goal with so many supportive businesses and organizations.

I also believe that in addition to focusing on local government, we need to be cognizant of what is happening at the State level.  For example: 1) The new Governor could help our school district by funding kindergarten at 100% vs. the 50% level, thus, bringing revenue to our five towns and helping offset the educational portion of property taxes.  2) The new Commissioner of Education could take a look at what it means for a child to demonstrate competence beyond taking a test.  At the high school level extended learning opportunities, outside the school setting, may present valuable work experience for our youth, allowing them to earn certificates and increase their chances of long term employment.

I would appreciate your vote.

Thank you,

Thomas H. Ronning

The Grange was forced to cancel “Meet the Candidates Night” but encouraged candidates to share their position statement in The Walpolean.  I would be pleased to post others that might be sent my way – ltdecoste@comcast.net. – Lil

Greetings fellow Walpoleans and residents of the Fall Mountain Regional School District,
My name is William K. Stahl, although most people know me as Billy. I am honored to be running for the position of Walpole School Board Representative for the Fall Mountain Regional School District.
After more than twenty years of involvement with this school district, I still feel like a cheerleader for our town and for our schools. In fact when I encounter families who are considering relocating, I often encourage them to consider Walpole — not only because it’s a great town, but also because it boasts great schools. Yes, taxes are high, but look at all we get.
My own sons have thrived in the Walpole schools. During the time they’ve been there I’ve had numerous interactions with our schools’ principal, teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, secretaries, special education personnel and everyone else who works here. I’ve continued to be impressed with their collective talent and professionalism, as well as with the genuine empathy they demonstrate for all students. Since my retirement from Fall Mountain Regional High School, I’ve had ample opportunity to get a real feel for our Walpole schools through working with them during lunch-time reading and book fair sales, as well as my wife and I working various special events. As a former teacher, I can spot a poseur from a long hallway away, but they seem scarce among the professionals who work with our children. So, I continue to value the benefits of a quality public school education for students and as an indication of our community’s health.

However, I do recognize that the taxes levied to support our schools have become nearly unbearable for some community members.
It is painful to hear how burdensome current taxation is for many district residents. Perhaps it is time to explore new and innovative approaches to our current educational programs, as well as the methods we use to fund them. While there are no quick fixes to the long-standing dilemma regarding how to fund New Hampshire schools, there will be opportunities for exploring new approaches — though only if we actively search for them.
This, then, is what I look to initiate during the coming year, the search I hope to begin.
We must continue to meet the needs of children, parents and educators. We must also meet the needs of our entire community, as well attracting and keeping residents. Of course we will economize in every possible way. Still, we need to be searching for new answers or school funding will continue to seem like a rock grinds us.

I hope you will grant me the opportunity to work for our community in the March 14 vote.