Special education again drives Epsom tax increase, but voters can cap spending

Student backpacks and coats line the hallway of Epsom Central School on Friday, January 24, 2025. Last week, a deadline for the school budget capproposals to be filed in certain districts, and Epsom and Weare joined the list. GEOFF FORESTER
Published: 01-30-2025 6:10 PM |
After a steep increase in school taxes due to special education and transportation costs last year, Epsom is facing a steeper hike this year.
The proposed $15 million budget is going up primarily due to a $400,000 increase in special education services and $450,000 in support services, which includes benefits increases for employees.
The budget, which is due to grow by nearly $800,000 – or about 5.5% more than current spending – carries another hefty $2.98 rise in the tax rate. The default budget is higher and would mean higher taxes.
For a house worth $400,000 the budget will add an extra $100 a month to tax bills. Coupled with a proposed contract for school support staff that will add 35 cents to the tax rate, the school district is due to add $1,332 per year to the tax bill of the same value home.
However, this year voters have a twist.
A petition warrant article spearheaded by town residents Dan and Carol McGuire would cap school expenses at $25,000 a year per pupil, plus annual increases for inflation. Next year costs per student are expected to rise to about $27,500, which means enacting the cap would be like a 10% cut to the school budget.
The couple, who are both state representatives, sponsored the bill last year that created the spending cap law in the legislature.
“Our school costs have risen dramatically over the years, and as a consequence our property taxes have gone through the roof,” Dan McGuire told the Monitor this month.
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Multiple school districts have accused the state in a lawsuit of underfunding education, pushing the burden to local taxpayers, citing the less than $5,000 a year in adequacy payments districts receive per pupil.
The McGuires, both Republicans, haven’t proposed any bills to increase state funding for education. However, Dan McGuire submitted two regarding school leaders – one would all make superintendent jobs elected positions, and the other would create a commission to study if it would be feasible to have one superintendent per county. Epsom is part of a five-town School Administrative Unit 53, which has two superintendents.
On the town side, spending is much tamer with a decrease of 11 cents to the tax rate for the $4.2 million proposed budget.
If all items are approved on the town side of the warrant, including adding an extra $150,000 for road repair, taxes would increase $172 a year for a $400,000 home.
The town deliberative session will be held Saturday, Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. at the Epsom Central School. The school deliberative session will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Epsom Central School.
Jonathan Van Fleet can be reached at jvanfleet@cmonitor.com.