Fall Mountain Board member resigns

[Lex]

LANGDON ? John E. Murray, a member of the Fall Mountain Regional School Board, resigned Monday night, citing what he called ?serious budgetary difficulty? throughout the school district and his concern that the ?School Board is not addressing the problem.?

Murray, an at-large member from Charlestown who had served on the board for four years, was up for re-election in March.

?We?re in a state of budgetary crisis,? Murray said this morning. ?Unfortunately my fellow board members seem to think that this isn?t our problem.?

School Board Chairman Charles P. Shaw of Walpole was unavailable for comment.

The school board voted recently to approve the budget committee?s $23,407,686 proposal ? about $1 million more than last school year?s budget.

But with additional warrant articles, such as a proposal for full-day kindergarten, and a teacher?s contract, going before the public, the budget could still increase dramatically, Murray said.

Voters throughout the school district, which covers Acworth, Alstead, Charlestown, Langdon and Walpole, approved last March a $1.3 million increase on the previous school year?s budget, driven largely by the renovation of Charlestown Middle School, according to Business Manager Steven J. Varone.

?The people who are voting each year need to begin to be concerned with what?s happening,? Murray said. ?That?s the reason I tended my resignation, as a protest and hopefully to get the attention of the people who need to be paying attention.?

Residents can declare candidacy for the open board seat between Jan. 25 and Feb. 3, to serve until March. It?s unclear, though, whether school board members will end up appointing a replacement.