Post on 23-Aug-2020
On December 6, 2010, the City Council adopted FY 2012 Budget Guidelines, most no-
tably, the requirement to submit a ―zero budget increase for FY 12 operating budgets.‖ On
December 13th , city departments met with the City Council and were instructed on the FY
12 budget schedule, revenue and expenditure outlook and guidelines.
Since July 2010, the School Board has held budget workshops fully cognizant of the
economic climate and preparing for another challenging budget cycle. Salary and benefits
account for 85% of the budget. With fixed costs rising well above inflation, a ―status quo‖
FY 12 budget would mean an increase of some $1,955,800. In January, the School Board
held workshops, public hearings and ultimately adopted a budget that met the council’s
guideline. The proposed budget, first and foremost, sustains all programs and continues to
support strong student-teacher ratios permitting a personalized classroom for every learner.
We achieved the zero-based budget by streamlining central office administration, realizing
some savings through attrition, adjusting student support levels, utilizing the 2010 Federal
Education Jobs Fund, appreciating the adjustment from the city’s health insurance stabiliza-
tion fund, as well as a contribution from the Association of Portsmouth Teachers to reduce
course reimbursement funds.
This brochure is intended to serve two aims. The first is to share with you the details on
the budget. The second aim is to share with you key data about the district. This booklet
has been expanded to include school information pages, as well as data collected by the
School Board in establishing a peer cohort group. To be sure, there are a number of key in-
puts such as maintaining strong student-teacher ratios, attracting and supporting a highly
qualified teaching staff, providing appropriate student support services, as well as sustaining
opportunities for students in the arts and athletics that are critical to our success. These in-
puts lead to graduating engaged, well-rounded young adults ready for career or college. You
will also view some key output measures such as our performance on the New England
Common Assessment (NECAP), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), as well as graduation,
drop-out and post-secondary attendance rates, all key data that illustrates our progress along
the way. We hope you will find these materials helpful in understanding the Board’s pro-
posed budget and enjoy reading about the good news taking place in the Portsmouth
Schools. We thank you for your continued support of our children.
FY 2012 BUDGET CONTEXT
What’s inside:
Points of Pride 3
Enrollments 4
Monitoring Progress 7
Cohort Metrics 10
Budget Details 13
School Updates 18
P O R T S M O U T H S C H O O L D I S T R I C T P O R T S M O U T H , N E W H A M P S H I R E
1 7 9 0
District Mission Statement
Educating all students by
challenging them to become
thinking, responsible,
contributing citizens who
continue to learn
throughout their lives.
Proposed FY 2012
Budget and
District Performance
Measures
Friends of Rachel collected
210 boxes of nonperishable
food items for Seacoast
Family Food Pantry and
raised over $3,000 for fami-
lies in need over the holiday
season!
As a community service
project, the students in the
KIDS program created
over one hundred Valen-
tines for the Wentworth
Connection Program. Went-
worth Connection is a
neighbor of Portsmouth
Middle School whose pro-
grams provide many ser-
vices for the elderly popula-
tion of Portsmouth.
Little Harbour students
continue to develop a vege-
table garden to provide
fresh vegetables to the cafe-
teria and students. Parents
and teachers have worked
with students to partner up
and sell these vegetables
and herbs to the Little Har-
bour community.
New Franklin students
partnered with the Seacoast
Martin Luther King Jr. Coa-
lition to create the Beloved
Community Project; a
month long initiative honor-
ing positive student contri-
butions to our community.
Eighth graders sponsored
a food drive resulting in
over 2,000 items being col-
lected and donated to the
Salvation Army during the
holidays.
Robert J. Lister Academy
students provided and
served a full traditional tur-
key meal at Thanksgiving
time to over 150 guests .
Dondero’s Brownie Troop
collected winter wear for
families in need of warm
outerwear through a
―Giving Tree‖.
The Young Historians
Club is a group of students
who have been charged
with documenting the histo-
ries of both the Wentworth
School and the Portsmouth
Middle School as part of the
new Middle School Build-
ing Project.
Page 2
PORT SM OUT H IS PROU D O F . . .
OUR S TU DE N TS GI V E BACK….
state average of 1%.
50 students had artwork en-
tered into the Regional Affili-
ate of the Alliance for Young
Artists & Writers, Inc.
Cassidy Hosse-McKenna
took 1st place in the 25 meter
freestyle swimming competi-
tion during the Special Olym-
pics Meet held in February.
Portsmouth Middle School is
the proud recipient of three
Excellence in Education
grants. The three programs:
Worlds of Work, Ending the
Cycle of Bullying, and Project
Safety will be presented to
PMS students during the
spring of 2011.
The Portsmouth High School
Percussion Ensemble wins
6th New England Champion-
ship and finishes with a Silver
Medal at the World Champi-
onships in Dayton, Ohio!
The Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) has rec-
ognized Portsmouth High
School as an Energy Star
Building. PHS scored an
88 out of a possible 100
points based on an Energy
Performance rating system.
Our reduction is energy also
means a reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions
of 1469 metric ton of CO2
per year.
The Clipper Marching Band
had it’s most successful sea-
son in nearly 20 years. The
group received gold-medal
ratings in all captions; music,
visual, drum major, color
guard, percussion and effect.
PMS Band & Choir received
Gold and Platinum Medals at
the Great East Music Festival
in Agawam, Massachusetts.
20 PHS students traveled to
Nichinan Japan to perform in
a national musical event. Later
in the school year, 20 Japa-
nese students traveled to
Portsmouth and attended clas-
ses at PHS. It is our hope to
continue this important and
historic exchange with our
Japanese sister city in the fu-
ture.
Portsmouth’s drop out rate
is at 0.3%, well below the
POINTS
OF
PRIDE
2011
The Portsmouth
Middle School build-
ing project continues
to move along.
Phase I was complet-
ed last August, a new
all-purpose athletic
field enjoyed by both
middle school and
high school students.
Congratulations to Mr. Gag-
non, who was elected to be
the guest conductor for the
Boston Pops performance at
the Verizon Center in Man-
chester, New Hampshire
on December 18, 2010.
Mr. Gagnon directed the
Pop’s performance of “Slay
Ride” to a packed house.
Eric has been with the
Portsmouth School District
since 1994, he holds his
masters degree in music
education and is one of
the many fine examples of
educators here in Ports-
mouth.
grant to build a rain gar-
den with the help of Ports-
mouth City Public Works.
This rain garden will be
built just east of our new
turf field in an effort to
filter the runoff from the
parking lot and building
before it enters Sagamore
Creek. Rain gardens have
been found to decrease
the amount of nitrogen
and pollutants found in
water. ECO students will
help with sampling the
water for documentation
purposes.
Melissa Provost, a Grade
7 English teacher at Ports-
mouth Middle School, has
been invited to speak at a
National Symposium on
Visual Literacy using Web
2.0 tools. Her presentation
will show how teachers
and university faculty meld
collaborative tools, images
and works of traditional
literature for professional
development.
Portsmouth High School
teachers Dierdre Barrett
and Kimberly McGlinchey
wrote and were awarded a
Kindergarten teacher Ja-
nine Beck partnered with
UNH and the Nature Con-
servatory in a program to
repopulate Great Bay oys-
ters. Little Harbour Stu-
dents cared for baby oys-
ters and engaged in differ-
ent activities around the
oysters.
Tess Hall , Little Harbour Read-
ing Specialist, is teaching a
course at UNH on “Diagnosis
and Remediation of Reading
Difficulties.”
Page 3
C A R E E R T E C H N O L O G Y—G R E A T T H I N G S A R E H A P P E N I N G
B A N D D I R E C T O R E R I C G A G N O N I N V I T E D T O B E A G U E S T C O N D U C T O R A T T H E B O S T O N P O P S
S TA F F M E M B E R S G O I N G B E Y O N D C L A S S R O O M S
review.
The 2nd Annual Career
Fair will be held this April
with expanded repre-
sentatives from industry
and post-secondary
colleges attending.
An application to the
Department of Educa-
tion for two-year program
status is being complet-
ed for the Welding Pro-
gram.
Culinary Arts students
participated in the 2nd
Annual Fish Festival at
Prescott Park. They also
prepared 12 Turkish
dishes for the Turkish
Nights Bazaar at the
high school.
Accounting is being of-
fered for the first time
this semester and is a
Project Running Start
class.
The Architecture and
Construction Trades Pro-
grams collaborated on
the design and construc-
tion of a colonial style
tool shed for the Gun-
dalow Company at the
Strawbery Banke Muse-
um.
The Automotive Technol-
ogy Program was re-
certified as a NATEF ap-
proved program after a
mid-point compliance
Eric Gagnon
Band Director, PHS
PHS ATHLETICS
(2007-2011)
27 CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
11 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
14 TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP
AWARDS
3 GATORADE PLAYERS OF
THE YEAR
1 HIGH SCHOOL
ALL AMERICAN
IT’S A GREAT TIME
TO BE A CLIPPER!
POINTS
OF
PRIDE
2011
The elementary schools expect to see 1,044 students in September 2011, five more than the
1,039 students enrolled during the
2010-11 school year. Next fall, the
projection is to see a dramatic decline
in the number of kindergarten stu-
dents. In recent years, Portsmouth has
registered about 70 Kindergartners
for every 100 births.
In NH, there has been a 4.4% de-
crease from 14,397 births in 2007 to
13,764 in 2009. Portsmouth projec-
tions are to see a decline in enroll-
ment over the next four years and
results in a projection of some 100
fewer students in our elementary
schools. Nonetheless, the second
largest factor at work is the steady
in-migration Portsmouth has experi-
enced in grades 1-12 that has result-
ed in a stable K - 12 enrollment.
E L E M E N T A R Y S C H O O L S
A N T I C I P A T E D E N R O L L M E N T S A N D C L A S S S I Z E S
The table to the right
illustrates the impact of
sustaining the same
level of staffing in FY
’12 as we enjoy today.
We expect 1,044 students
in grades K-5 and with
58 classroom teachers
will have an average class
size of 18:1.
880
900
920
940
960
980
1000
1020
1040
1060
'05-
'06
'07-
'08
'09-
'10
'11-
'12
'13-
'14
'15-
'16
NESDEC’s projec-tions were within 0.1%
of the actual
K-12 enrollment
(2,647 projected and 2,644 actual).
“K-12 enrollments are forecast to decline a bit over the next four years,
then remain fairly steady “
- New England School Development Council
K-5 Historical / Projected Trend
Grade Pupils Classes
Avg.
Pupils Classes
Avg.
Pupils Classes
Avg.
Total
Pupils
K 50 (?) 3 17 65 (?) 4 16 35 (?) 2 18 150 (?)
1 52 3 17 71 4 18 47 3 16 170
2 54 3 18 82 4 21 52 3 17 188
3 41 3 14 84 4 21 35 2 18 160
4 68 3 23 73 4 18 49 3 16 190
5 49 3 16 85 4 21 52 3 17 186
Dondero Little Harbour New Franklin
S C H O O L E N R O L L M E N T D A T A K - 5
Page 4
H I S T O R I C E N R O L L M E N T D A T A
Page 5
Page 6
485
410398
431
462
447
383
389392
363
380
366
394394
417409
363
375
369339
62 51 50 44 4547
61 57 57 59 54 54 46 40 19 18 16 136 4
63 7559 62
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Special Education Student Enrollment and Statistics
Tuition In Pupils
Portsmouth Resident Pupils
SAU 50 Pupils
School Year Number of
Special Ed Pupils
% of Total
Enrollment
2005-2006 427 16.57%
2006-2007 451 17.12%
2007-2008 463 17.59%
2008-2009 434 16.52%
2009-2010 405 15.30%
2010-2011 409 15.43%
Special Needs Pupils
By School
Out of District 14
High School 157
Lister Academy 12
Middle School 90
New Franklin 40
Little Harbour 35
Dondero 39
PEEP 31
AUT DD ED HI MD MR OHI ORT SLD SP TBI VI
Totals 14 36 18 7 3 4 100 1 165 57 2 2
Pre-K 1 16 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 7 0 0
K 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
1 3 7 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 5 0 1
2 1 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 0 0 0
3 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 10 6 0 0
4 1 3 1 0 0 0 4 1 11 7 1 0
5 0 0 2 0 0 0 7 0 6 2 0 0
6 1 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 9 7 1 0
7 1 0 0 1 0 1 12 0 23 3 0 0
8 1 0 2 0 0 0 10 0 14 3 0 0
9 2 0 4 1 0 0 9 0 28 1 0 0
10 0 0 4 1 1 0 12 0 24 4 0 0
11 1 0 2 0 1 0 14 0 23 5 0 0
12 2 0 2 1 1 2 15 0 15 0 0 1
Primary Disability by Grade (includes 60 SAU # 50 students and 4 Tuition-in Students
SPECIAL EDUCATION CODES
AUT—Autism
DD—Developmental Delay
ED—Emotional Disturbance
HI—Hearing Impaired
MD—Multiple Disabilities
MR—Mental Retardation
OHI—Other Health Impaired
ORTH—Orthopedic Impairment
SLD—Specific Learning Disability
SP - Speech Language Impairment
TBI -Traumatic Brain Injury
VI—Visual Impairment
Educators in Portsmouth have continued to keep a focus on finding better and better ways to meet the educational needs
of all students and on results. This broad effort is reflected in the ways schools develop schedules to provide time for
student learning and in the ways teachers work collaboratively together to set goals for student learning and monitor pro-
gress.
INVESTMENT IN EARLY EDUCATION
As an example of allocating resources to best address the needs of students, the district has invested greatly in early edu-
cation. One of the clearest examples of this investment is the development of a full day kindergarten program. This pro-
gram has been established for four years with attention to the developmental academic and social needs of kindergarten-
ers. The chart of Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores shows the growth of students who have been read-
ing at the grade level benchmark by the spring of their kindergarten year.
The DRA is an assessment given district-wide to K-5 twice a year. As the chart shows, the program has been paying
off greatly in regards to the critical development of literacy skills. This past spring that percentage of students
at benchmark grew to 96%. This year we have begun to also see those scores translate into NECAP performance, as
this was the first year students who were in the full day K program took the NECAP as 3rd graders. What we found was
that these students scored the highest of any 3rd grade class before them, with 90% proficient or greater in Reading and
86% percent proficient or greater in Math.
M O N I T O R I N G P R O G R E S S
TEACHER COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON RESULTS
Throughout the district, teachers have been engaged in collaborative work to achieve results. Whereas once upon a
time student learning was the sole responsibility of the individual teacher, now it is the collective responsibility of the
school.
To make this operational, teachers are organized in Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams. These teams col-
laboratively establish student learning goals, share strategies to best teach students in their classroom, and develop addi-
tional ways to support student learning outside of the classroom.
The second grade team at Dondero Elementary School can be seen as an example in the work they did last year. The
team set a goal of 80% of the students reaching benchmark by the spring Developmental Reading Assessment. These
students ended first grade scoring 46% at benchmark. The second grade team instituted an intervention block to help
with additional time and strategies beyond regular classroom instruction.
In the spring, the team had not reached their goal but those same students scored 70% at benchmark on the spring DRA.
The evidence of student growth is furthered by the NECAP results that show the same cohort of students scored 90%
proficient at the beginning of 3rd grade this year. This is just one of many stories to tell of the work PLC teams are do-
ing.
Page 7
STRENGTHENING MATH ACHIEVEMENT
At the middle and high school level, this year’s NECAP data shows positive results in math at both levels. The district
put a focus on learning from interventions for students in math by investing federal ARRA funds into math intervention-
ist positions at both levels. Math proficiency rose significantly at both levels, especially when compared to state and
cohort averages. While reading did not see the same rate of increase, performance in reading remains high at both lev-
els. As students graduate from Portsmouth, many indicators suggest they are doing so better equipped for post second-
ary plans. SAT scores in all areas have been above state and national averages for the last two years and growing at a
faster rate than both (see tables on page 9). The dropout rate at PHS has declined to 0.3% and is a leading example in
the state of a deliberate and steady decline (see table below). Collectively, the work in the district at all levels is fo-
cused on student learning and results.
NECAP COHORT COMPARISON
For comparison purposes, aggregate NECAP scores for grades 3-8 and 11 are shown as a district percent proficient or
better and compared to the New Hampshire average as well as the average of the other four schools identified as our NH
cohort group (see page 10). The graphs below show a comparison of last year’s scores with the scores from the most
recent NECAP assessment. While Portsmouth scored above the state average last year in reading and about the same as
the state in math, the district was significantly lower than the cohort average. In 2010 however, Portsmouth outscored
the state average as well as the cohort average in both math and reading. This is but one indicator that the collective
work of the school community is headed in the right direction.
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
2009 2010
District NECAP Math
Portsmouth
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Annual Dropout Rate
PHS State
M O N I T O R I N G P R O G R E S S
Page 8
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
540
550
560
Class of 2007 Class of 2008 Class of 2009 Class of 2010
SAT Verbal
Portsmouth National New Hampshire
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
540
Class of 2007 Class of 2008 Class of 2009 Class of 2010
SAT Writing
Portsmouth National New Hampshire
490
500
510
520
530
540
550
560
570
Class of 2007 Class of 2008 Class of 2009 Class of 2010
SAT Math
Portsmouth National New Hampshire
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Post Secondary Plans
4 yr colleges 2 yr colleges
Other Educational Programs Military
Employment
PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT)
PHS SAT scores are consistently above the national average. The two most recent
classes have scored statistically higher than the NH state average which includes
private and public high schools. Approximately 80% of students continue their edu-
cation after high school.
YEAR # of AP courses offered # of pupils
enrolled
# of pupils taking AP
exams
% scoring “3” or
higher
2004-05 10 62 60 50%
2005-06 9 66 58 75%
2006-07 9 89 77 59%
2007-08 9 109 101 55%
2008-09 9 126 122 60%
2009-10 9 126 122 67%
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
Page 9
Socio-Economic Status of Students
District Enrollments 2008-2009
District Enrollment Pre Kind Elem Middle High Total
Portsmouth 2,600 15 154 838 541 1,052 2,600
Gov. Wentworth 2,605 34 173 1,110 407 881 2,605
Merrimack Val. 2,737 53 184 984 626 890 2,737
Contoocook 2,859 38 148 758 832 1,083 2,859
Oyster River 2,004 0 124 604 624 692 2,044
2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0
District Enrollment Pre Kind Elem Middle High Total
Portsmouth 2,637 19 180 826 540 1,072 2,637
Gov. Wentworth 2,505 25 133 1,065 414 868 2,505
Merrimack Val. 2,740 46 193 972 622 907 2,740
Contoocook 2,747 39 166 693 846 1,003 2,747
Oyster River 2,029 0 115 591 628 695 2,029
Benchmarking
Against Peer Cohort
One of the Portsmouth
School Board’s goals for the
year is to “develop, track
and report the district’s per-
formance against a peer
cohort group.”
At its October workshop
meeting, the board looked at
a range of schools and deter-
mined three schools were
most similar based on stu-
dent enrollment, grade con-
figurations, poverty level,
per pupil spending, teacher
degree attainment, teacher
salary, student-teacher ratio
and local tax data. Those
schools are Governor Went-
worth Regional, Merrimack
Valley and Contoocook.
The Board also wanted to
measure per formance
against a “top performer”
and selected area district
Oyster River as an addition-
al comparison point.
Free & Reduced School Lunch Eligibility, 2008-2009 2009-2010
Portsmouth 20.73% 22.35%
Governor. Wentworth Regional 29.07% 33.18%
Merrimack Valley 20.80% 26.07%
Contoocook Valley 21.10% 25.33%
Oyster River 6.30% 5.59%
Outcomes and
Graduates
Ideally, the metrics will help
us look beyond our district
to ensure we are performing
at a level commensurate with
our resources. The school
board is committed to meas-
uring our success in realizing
our mission: educating all to
high levels and ensuring life
long learners and contribu-
tors.
Per Pupil Costs 2008-2009 Cost Per Pupil
School District Elementary Middle High Total
State Average (1) $12,095.86 $11,160.93 $11,573.01 $11,745.55
Portsmouth 14,204.18 13,492.55 14,553.39 14.104.09
Gov Wentworth 13,059.47 14,216.09 12,048.48 12,886.26
Merrimack Valley 11,428.91 10,774.20 10,545.51 10,978.57
Contoocook 13,962.04 13,196.27 11,895.43 12,925.97
Oyster River 15,652.17 15,651.84 15,425.02 15,573.93
2009-2010 Cost Per Pupil
School District Elementary Middle High Total
State Average (1) $12,599.53 $11,594.54 $12,036.99 $12,213.99
Portsmouth 15,005.89 13,715.55 14,710.43 14,621.20
Gov. Wentworth 14,888.05 14,367.17 13,895.96 13,889.79
Merrimack Valley 11,821.83 11,047.96 10,749.68 11,280.99
Contoocook 15,231.47 13,257.89 12,755.81 13,669.17
Oyster River 15,566.14 15,748.26 15,217.37 15,503.27
B E N C H M A R K I N G A G A I N S T A P E E R C O H O R T
Over the next few pages you will be able to compare our district against four other school units in NH. You will see that
overall our student performance is very good, improving, but we are striving for a higher standard and continue to use our pro-
fessional learning communities model as the means to continuously improve. As a community we offer strong programs and
are committed to providing our students a high quality education while managing the taxpayers’ dollars as effectively as possi-
ble.
Page 10
Average Teacher Salary & Entry Level Salary 2009-10
AVG Starting w/ BA
Portsmouth $56,737 $35,474
Governor Wentworth $53,253 $35,000
Merrimack Valley $49,604 $32,900
Contoocook $44,460 $31,821
Oyster River $62,199 $36,155
Teacher Degree Attainment 2009-10
% BA %MA % Beyond
Portsmouth 26.6% 67.8% 5.2%
Gov. Wentworth 46.6% 50.6% 1.5%
Merrimack Valley 60.2% 39.8% 0.0%
Contoocook 42.4% 57.6% 0.0%
Oyster River 32.9% 66.5% 0.6%
Seacoast Area Teacher Salaries 2009-10
Community Average Salary % MA Beyond
Stratham $70,920 81%
Seabrook $65,347 80%
New Castle $64,167 71%
Exeter Cooperative (SAU 16) $63,440 76%
Newington $63,271 65%
Exeter $62,800 74%
North Hampton $61,722 90%
Hampton (SAU 21) $60,540 66%
Hampton Falls $59,976 83%
Greenland $57,433 51%
Newfields $57,284 83%
York, ME $57,197 N/A
Portsmouth $56,737 73%
Marshwood (SAD # 35) $51,462 N/A
Newmarket $49,693 53%
Dover $48,844 54%
Kittery ME $47,054 N/A
Pupil -Teacher Ratios as of October 1, 2009
Pupils Total Teachers Ratio
Portsmouth 2,438 236.0 10.3
Governor Wentworth 2,347 226.8 10.3
Merrimack Valley 2,501 182.1 13.7
Contoocook 2,542 227.4 11.2
Oyster River 1,914 166.2 11.5
Degree Attainment and Average Salary
In 2009-10, the Portsmouth School Department had 73% of
its professional teaching staff with a Masters degree or beyond.
Rankings of Teachers with Masters Degree and Beyond
1. Portsmouth 73%
2. Oyster River 67%
3. Contoocook 58%
4. Governor Wentworth 52%
5. Merrimack Valley 40%
Typically, teacher contracts recognize additional degrees in the
collective bargaining agreement’s salary schedule. Of the co-
hort group, Oyster River has the highest average teacher salary
and Portsmouth ranks 2nd.
The school board asked that we extend the cohort group to the
larger seacoast area as a way to look at regional considerations
in terms of average teacher salaries. Portsmouth ranks 13th out
of the 16 seacoast units.
Two key factors will drive the average teacher salary. One, the
degree attainment of the teaching staff as well as years of expe-
rience. If a large percentage of teachers are at the maximum step
on the teacher contract, the average salary will be higher.
Pupil - Teacher Ratios Versus Class Size
The NH Department of Education reports all professional staff
as a total teacher count and divides this total into a district’s
average daily attendance to report out Pupil-Teacher ratios.
Please note that Pre-school and kindergarten teachers and
students are excluded from this data snapshot. Total teachers
include not only classroom and special education teachers but
all student support services staff listed as teachers. This is not a
measure of class size. In 2009, Portsmouth was tied with Gov-
ernor Wentworth in having the lowest pupil – teacher ratio at
10.3 students per professional staff member. Contoocook was
2nd, Oyster River 3rd and Merrimack Valley had the highest
ratio of the cohort group at 13.7 students per professional staff
member.
The NH Department of Education collects data on the average
class size of our public elementary schools. The table (below)
shows the average class size for the cohort group. The lowest
class size in grades 1 and 2 is Governor Wentworth at 14.5
students and the highest is in grades 5 through 8, Merrimack
Valley with an average of 21.8.
Average Class Size in Public Schools
District Grades 1&2 Grades 3&4 Grades 5 to 8
Governor Wentworth 14.5 15.8 16.7
Merrimack Valley 17.9 19.4 21.8
PORTSMOUTH 15.7 17.4 18.6
Contoocook 16.6 16.8 21.6
Oyster River 18.6 19.6 20.3
T E A C H E R A N D P U P I L D A T A
Page 11
Central Office Configurations, 2010-2011
Portsmouth Governor W. Merrimack Contoocook Oyster River
Superintendent 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE
Assistant Superintendent 1 FTE 1 FTE 1FTE 1 FTE
Curr/ Instruction Director 1 FTE 1 FTE 2 FTE
Special Service Director 1 FTE 1 FTE 2 FTE *4 FTE Coordinator
Pupil Services / Title I 1 FTE 1 FTE
Business Administrator 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE
Human Resources Manager 1 FTE 1 FTE
Facilities Manager 1 FTE 2 FTE
Technology Director 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE** (Network)
Transportation Director 1 FTE
Bookkeeping 1 FTE 2 FTE 3 FTE 1 FTE 3 FTE
Payroll 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE
Account Payable 1 FTE 1 FTE 1 FTE
Clerical 5.5 FTE 3.5 FTE 3.0FTE 6.0 FTE 3 FTE
TOTAL 15.5 FTE 14.5 FTE 10 FTE 18.0 FTE 12 FTE (*4)
The School Board has closely managed system administration costs
and will continue to do so going forward.
Education Research Service (ERS) in a publication entitled 2010
Updated National Survey of Staffing Patterns for Public School Sys-
tems provides national snapshot data that central office is usually 4.3
% of a district’s budget. In FY 2012, 3% of the total general fund
budget will be dedicated to system administration in Portsmouth (See
table to the right). Below the pie chart you will find the FY 2010-11
superintendent salaries for the cohort.
The table below identifies how the cohort group is configured with
central office personnel. As a result of this study, Portsmouth has
proposed a reconfiguration of central office where we will adopt a
building-based coordinator model for special services currently uti-
lized in Oyster River and Merrimack Valley. Like these cohort
schools, we will combine the Special Education Director and Title I
Director into a more coordinated position of Director of Pupil In-
struction and Support.
Additionally, we will assign the instructional leadership duties for
technology to the assistant superintendent. The total staff in central
office in FY 12 will be 12.5 full time equivalent positions (FTE) and
we will rank 3rd in the cohort group.
FY 2010-11 Superintendent Salaries
1. Contoocook $153,066
2. Governor Wentworth $134,955
3. Portsmouth $133,645
4. Oyster River $131,435
5. Merrimack Valley $ 70.35 / hr
S Y S T E M - W I D E A D M I N I S T R A T I O N
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Secondary School Administrative Configurations, 2010-11
Portsmouth High: 1 Principal, 2 Assistant Principals, 1 CTE Director, an Athletic Director, 5 Guidance Counselors
Kingswood Regional: 1 Principal, 1 Assistant Principal, 1 CTE Director, 4 Guidance Counselors
Merrimack Valley: 1 Principal, 2 Assistant Principals, 1 Activities Director, 1 Administrator for Special Education, 4 Guidance
Conval Regional: 1 Principal, 2 Assistant Principals, 1 Athletic Director, 1 CTE Director, 6 Guidance Counselors
Oyster River: 1 Principal, 2 Assistant Principals, 3 Guidance Counselors and 1 Outreach Counselor
Page 12
Debt Service Not Included in Budget Totals
Portsmouth $4,325,835
Governor Wentworth $3,146,286
Merrimack Valley $3,292,531
Contoocook $2,658,708
Oyster River $2,056,194
As the pie charts below illustrate, Portsmouth’s ratio of education tax to total
tax is less that of the cohort.
The total budget dollars appropriated, with the exception of Merrimack Val-
ley, are relatively similar . Contoocook ranks # 1 at 38.5 million and Gover-
nor Wentworth ranks # 2 at just over $38 million. Portsmouth is ranked # 3
at $36.9 million and Oyster River is # 4 appropriating $36.7 million. Merri-
mack Valley spends some $5.3 million less than Portsmouth and ranks # 5 at
$31,588,344..
Debt Service is a part of the cohort districts’ budgets and has been subtracted
out from the total appropriation in order to compare apples to apples. In
Portsmouth, debt service on New Franklin, the high school and new middle
school project totals $4.3 million and is not part of the school’s general fund.
When the state calculates cost per pupil it includes expenditures from local,
state and federal sources. Most noticeable is Portsmouth does not receive an
adequacy grant contribution from the state. (See table below).
PER PUPIL COST EXPLAINED
The State’s Per pupil formula includes all expenditures from local,
state and federal sources (less tuition and transportation costs and
deducts food service revenues) and divides this sum by the average
daily attendance. This calculation is used to determine an allowable
tuition rate. However, in order to calculate per pupil cost to the
local taxpayer you simply divide enrollment into the general fund
budget.
State Grants/ Federal Aid
2009-2010
Allocation for Special Catastrophic Aid Building Adequacy Ed Jobs Added
Education ADM-R for FY 2010 @ Aid Grant Aid @ 2.1767 of
FY 10 & FY 11 85.1186% FY 10 FY 11 FY 11 Total Adequacy
Portsmouth $604,889 $179,593 $969,585 $0 $196,734
Governor Wentworth $658,027 $354,480 $244,726 $4,019,799 $312,129
Merrimack Valley $716,582 $170,461 $1,794,024 $9,723,643 $285,304
Contoocook $977,722 $728,792 $1,163,597 $8,859,888 $305,083
Oyster River $673,729 $247,274 $727,720 $4,914,022 182,261
DOE Per Pupil Gen’l Budget / Pupil
FY 2010 FY 2011
Portsmouth $14,621.30 $13,994.69
Governor Wentworth $13,889.79 $14,838.10
Merrimack Valley $11,280.99 $11,517.64
Contoocook $13,699.37 $14,014.2
Oyster River $15,503.27 $18,093.06
B U D G E T A N D F I N A N C E C O M PA R I S O N S
FY 2011 School Budgets
Portsmouth $36,904,000*
Governor Wentworth $38,059,723*
Merrimack Valley $31,558,344*
Contoocook $38,497,064*
Oyster River $36,710,825*
*Excludes Debt Service
Other Local State Education Local Education
2009 - 2010 Property Tax Rates
Page 13
The FY 12 Budget adopted by the School Board first and fore-
most sustains all programs and continues to support a student
teacher ratio that provides for a personalized classroom for our
learners. We have taken steps in this budget to support teacher
professional development, albeit it differently, through the use of
expert mentoring support. While you will read about our build-
ing programs separately, we will expand learning opportunities
for students through intervention blocks and study skills centers.
On Thursday, February 10, 2011, the Portsmouth School Board
voted 8-1 to send an FY 2012 budget request of $36,904,000 to
the City Manager for his consideration. The budget meets the
mandate established by the City Council to submit a budget with
a zero percent increase. We reduced 11.93 FTE positions from
the general fund.
In order to meet the mandate, a number of adjustments were
made. First, we looked at system-wide and central office posi-
tions. We have adopted a model that combines the Special Ser-
vices Director and Title I Coordinator into a new position enti-
tled Director of Pupil Instruction and Support. We believe the
shift in this model will help us build a coordinated system of
support rather than parallel system.. Our intention is to build
clear systems of support for both identified and non-identified
students. In FY 12 we will continue with our network coordina-
tor, tech integrators and adjust one computer support person. As
we work to more fully integrate technology in the classroom,
Assistant Superintendent Zadravec will facilitate instructional
leadership. The following adjustments were made to central of-
fice:
Director of Technology 1 FTE
Special Services Director 1 FTE
Administrative Assistant 1 FTE
Computer Technician 1 FTE
Maintenance Technician 1 FTE
District-wide Psychologist .5 FTE
Portsmouth Teachers PD Contribution
Total 5 .5 FTE from General Fund
Attrition adjustments were examined. Four teachers, one
PE, one music, and two English teachers, all from PHS, have
declared retirement in June 2011. As a result of the schedule
changes at Portsmouth Middle, we are able to transfer two Eng-
lish positions to the high school. We will fill the PE and music
positions. We also have a resignation in science from the high
school. In CTE, the welding program will become a two-year
program and will be covered by Perkins federal grant monies
and based on enrollment we will adjust the Automotive position
to a .5 FTE. Additional adjustments include .33FTE Art and . 5
FTE Nurse at PHS and a .6 FTE reduction of Speech services and
an unfilled .5 FTE elementary school position from the current
year.
English Language Arts 2 FTE
Speech .6 FTE
Automotive .5 FTE
Nurse .5 FTE
Elementary (unfilled in FY’11) .5 FTE
Art .33 FTE
Adjusted Music, PE, Science
Total 4.43 FTE from General Fund
Examination of minimum standards lead to adjustments in staff-
ing levels of guidance / outreach support, K-12. Minimum ratios
call for 1:300 at the high school and 1:500 at the elementary
school level. Support levels were adjusted from 10 FTE at the
high school to 8 FTE for FY 2012 and from 6 FTE to 4 at the
elementary schools.
Counselors 4 FTE
Total 2 FTE from General Fund
The remainder of the budget was adjusted through the use of Fed-
eral Education Jobs Fund of $195,000 in addition to the health
insurance adjustments of those 11.93 positions adjusted. In light
of the current economic climate, we believe we have continued to
provide our students with a high quality education while manag-
ing the taxpayers’ dollars as effectively as possible.
F Y 2 0 1 2 S C H O O L B U D G E T
Portsmouth School Department General Fund Budget and Key Drivers - Five Year View
FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TOTAL PERCENT INCREASE COLA INCREASE HEALTH INCREASE RETIREMENT INCREASE
FY 2007 32,472,916 5.6% 3.27% 9.2% 3.70%
FY 2008 34,326,773 5.7% 2.06% 0.70% 5.80%
FY 2009 35,505,754 3.4% 3.14% 2.4% 5.80%
FY 2010 36,244,503 2.0% 2.98% 11.5% 7.49%
FY 2011 36,904,000 1.8% 2.82% 11.7% 8.02%
FY 2012 36,904,000 0.0% 2.43% 5% 9.07%
Page 14
FY 10 BUDGET FY 10 ACTUAL FY 11 BUDGET FY 12 BUDGET
100 SALARIES 20,562,480 20,571,244 20,795,278 20,798,623
200 BENEFITS 9,972,475 9,900,258 10,535,980 10,524,151
300 PURCHASED SERVICES 612,540 619,568 441,882 454,402
310 RUBBISH-RECYCLE-PLOWING 71,152 31,756 71,200 58,140
320 GENERAL FUND SPED SUPPORT 400,000 400,000 400,000 400,000
410 WATER & SEWER 51,230 41,678 52,581 55,544
420 UNIFORMS-CLOTHING ALLOWANCE 12,380 9,549 10,380 10,380
430 REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE 345,080 459,157 373,678 357,271
440 RENTALS 74,141 79,682 82,831 70,860
519 TRANSPORTATION 896,733 836,246 865,992 857,286
520 INSURANCE 110,222 107,226 94,916 102,068
531 TELEPHONE 34,975 36,734 34,975 36,553
532 DATA 27,621 44,683 45,290 45,440
534 POSTAGE 22,298 19,723 21,282 19,544
540 ADVERTISING 8,065 1,712 6,050 5,748
550 PRINTING 30,934 20,181 28,864 27,408
560 TUITION 921,655 1,030,874 876,927 982,792
580 TRAVEL-CONFERENCE 36,980 27,500 36,615 34,602
610 GENERAL SUPPLIES 469,318 442,897 503,583 472,167
621 NATURAL GAS 436,847 311,205 430,263 408,750
622 ELECTRICITY 514,354 458,103 529,784 537,288
623 FUEL OIL 827 0 850 852
626 GASOLINE 11,200 12,566 11,200 16,200
641 BOOKS 220,073 183,819 216,753 201,554
642 SOFTWARE 39,510 31,795 47,735 41,403
644 PERIODICALS 16,473 9,151 21,668 20,920
720 CIP 78,000 116,673 77,750 58,000
730 EQUIPMENT 213,191 373,402 227,869 243,990
810 DUES & FEES 25,818 28,947 35,869 34,915
840 CONTINGENCY 16,076 18,555 15,100 15,725
890 OTHER 11,855 16,423 11,855 11,424
36,244,503 36,241,305 36,904,000 36,904,000
F Y 1 2 S C H O O L B U D G E T B Y O B J E C T C O D E
Page 15
ACTUAL
2007-08
ACTUAL
2008-09
BUDGET
2009-10
ACTUAL
2009-10
BUDGET
2010-2011
BUDGET
2011-2012
TEACHERS 14,499,309.00 15,386,030 16,063,274.00 15,982,099 16,235,902 16,234,150
SALARIES 3,541,830.00 3,795,695 3,732,047 3,678,163 3,758,139 3,763,236
PART-TIME SALARIES 871,540.00 774,697 730,381 837,776 731,459 724,459
OVERTIME 117,054.00 88,121 69,778 76,369 69,778 69,778
RETIREMENT 1,154,255.00 1,211,302 1,487,281 1,508,901 1,672,175 1,899,898
HEALTH INSURANCE 5,327,573.00 4,973,000 5,502,811 5,509,771 5,781,395 5,648,665
DENTAL INSURANCE 314,324.00 329,232 335,236 357,838 360,936 397,619
LEAVE AT TERMINATION 604,999.00 912,634 500,000 500,000 500,000 400,000
WORKERS COMPENSATION 103,571.00 115,792 90,000 89,647 94,000 108,344
OTHER FRINGE BENEFITS 1,846,661.00 1,983,421 2,057,147 1,940,982 2,127,474 2,069,624
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS 28,381,116.00 29,569,924 30534955 30,481,545 31,331,258 31,322,733
TUITION 1,342,736.00 1,453,057 921655 1,030,874 876,927 982,792
TRANSPORTATION 802,277.00 861,264 898233 836,246 865,992 857,286
UTILITIES 855,096.00 929,485 963228 781,874 972,097 963,090
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE 415,530.00 400,011 344947 459,157 377,114 357,271
OTHER OPERATING COSTS 2,148,762.00 2,289,692 2581485 2,651,608 2,480,612 2,420,788
OPERATING SUB TOTAL 5,564,401.00 5,933,510 5709584 5,759,760 5,572,742 5,581,227
TOTALS 33,945,517.00 35,503,433 36,244,503 36,241,305 36,904,000 36,904,000
Historical Summary of School Department Expenditures
PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
2011-2012 FTE PROPOSED
GENERAL FUND
Teachers ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Classroom Teachers 15.00 3.23 23.00 15.27 26.00 55.00 137.50
Art,Music,PE, Computer 1.60 3.00 4.00 2.07 7.95 9.60 28.22
Tech Careers 4.00 5.76 9.76
Health Instruction 1.24 1.24
Regular Ed Subtotal 1.60 18.00 3.23 27.00 17.34 37.95 71.60 0.00 0.00 176.72
Special Education 2.50 2.50 2.00 4.50 7.30 18.80
ESL 2.00 2.00
Sped Subtotal 0.00 2.50 0.00 2.50 2.00 4.50 7.30 0.00 2.00 20.80
Total Classroom Teachers 1.60 20.50 3.23 29.50 19.34 42.45 78.90 0.00 2.00 197.52
Other Professionals ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Guidance Counselors 1.33 1.34 1.33 2.00 5.00 11.00
Nurses 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 5.50
School Librarians 2.25 1.00 0.93 1.00 1.00 6.18
Athletic Trainer 0.00
Psychologist 0.50 0.50
Speech 1.00 0.80 1.80 1.00 1.00 5.60
Physical & Occ Therapists 1.50 0.40 1.90
Reading & Math Specialists 1.60 2.40 1.50 1.00 6.50
Behavioral Specialist 0.00
Total Other Professionals 3.75 5.93 1.20 6.54 5.76 6.00 7.50 0.00 0.50 37.18
Teacher's Contract Total 5.35 26.43 4.43 36.04 25.10 48.45 86.40 0.00 2.50 234.70
Administrators ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Superintendent 1.00 1.00
Asst. Superintendent 1.00 1.00
Business Administrator 1.00 1.00
Principals 1.00 1.00 0.96 2.00 2.84 7.80
Directors 2.00 1.36 3.36
Total Admin 0.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 0.96 2.00 2.84 0.00 4.36 14.16
Paraprofessionals ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Regular Ed Classroom Paras 5.64 1.72 5.36 3.37 1.00 17.09
Sped Paras 4.72 3.93 2.86 6.72 1.86 20.09
Library Paras 0.86 0.86
Support Paras 0.00
Total Para 0.00 10.36 1.72 9.29 6.23 8.58 0.00 0.00 1.86 38.04
Clerical ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Admin Clerical 0.89 0.88 0.89 2.00 5.39 6.82 16.87
Sped Clerical 0.82 0.82
Support Clerical 0.78 3.00 3.78
Total Clerical 0.00 0.89 0.00 0.88 0.89 2.78 9.21 6.82 0.00 21.47
OTHER ELEM DO Peep LH NF PMS PHS C/O SYS TOTAL
Security 1.00 1.00
Tech Support 7.00 7.00
Custodians 3.00 3.00 2.50 4.00 11.00 0.40 23.90
Maintenance 4.00 4.00
Total Other 0.00 3.00 0.00 3.00 2.50 4.00 12.00 0.40 11.00 35.90
General Fund TOTAL 344.27
Regular Ed Classroom
Special Education - All
Educational Support
Administration
Other
Page 16
Page 17
PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
GENERAL FUND DETAIL COMPARISON AND INDEX
2010/11 2011/12 Cost Center - Budget DRAFT Total Budget Salaries Benefits Operating
Positions
FTE
Total Proposed
Budget Salaries Benefits Operating
Positions
FTE
Benefits Budgets 7,309,131 7,309,131 0 0.00 7,069,930 7,069,930 0 0.00
School Instruction & Operations
102 DONDERO 1,652,347 1,393,987 209,141 49,219 27.53 1,714,418 1,440,053 231,350 43,015 26.86
104 LITTLE HARBOUR 2,309,443 1,962,575 287,491 59,377 35.25 2,385,992 2,005,980 323,979 56,033 34.58
105 NEW FRANKLIN 1,595,675 1,352,721 204,839 38,115 24.97 1,645,266 1,384,829 224,153 36,284 24.32
108 MIDDLE SCHOOL 2,824,806 2,368,663 368,205 87,938 40.64 2,908,385 2,422,297 401,603 84,485 38.64
109 SENIOR HIGH 5,940,403 4,984,792 780,251 175,360 81.37 6,286,345 5,244,009 875,022 167,314 82.37
Total Schools 14,322,674 12,062,738 1,849,927 410,009 209.76 14,940,406 12,497,168 2,056,107 387,131 206.77
Other Instruction Budgets
110 ART 635,071 502,680 78,770 53,621 8.13 644,681 508,687 85,052 50,942 7.80
111 MUSIC 514,598 427,082 66,924 20,592 6.40 510,124 420,114 70,243 19,767 6.40
112 PHYSICAL EDUCATION 752,962 642,471 98,901 11,590 10.42 779,952 660,636 108,304 11,012 10.42
113 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 169,051 113,853 17,841 37,357 1.60 169,146 114,215 19,097 35,834 1.60
114 TECHNICAL CAREERS 1,042,234 848,233 133,326 60,675 12.75 952,219 765,731 128,770 57,718 11.50
115 ATHLETICS 613,514 269,421 42,648 301,445 1.00 598,637 270,516 46,013 282,108 1.00
116 DRAMA 27,846 10,068 1,578 16,200 0.00 27,036 10,068 1,578 15,390 0.00
117 K-12 COMPUTER 400,713 274,947 43,355 82,411 5.00 319,209 204,337 34,661 80,211 4.00
119 HEALTH INSTRUCTION 93,938 77,524 12,148 4,266 1.24 98,712 81,100 13,560 4,052 1.24
Total Other Instruction 4,249,926 3,166,279 495,490 588,157 46.54 4,099,716 3,035,404 507,278 557,034 43.96
Instruction Support Budgets
130 ENRICHMENT 11,928 3,890 610 7,428 0.00 11,698 3,890 650 7,158 0.00
131 DISTRICT-WIDE ASSESSMENT 8,100 0 0 8,100 0.00 7,695 0 0 7,695 0.00
132 MATHMATICS ELEMENTARY 41,626 0 0 41,626 0.00 39,545 0 0 39,545 0.00
134 HEALTH 467,094 401,187 58,613 7,294 6.00 467,175 394,316 65,930 6,929 5.50
135 LIBRARY ELEMENTARY 215,745 156,184 24,943 34,618 3.93 245,411 181,142 31,165 33,104 4.18
136 MEDIA SERVICES 78,354 52,974 8,905 16,475 1.00 80,276 54,426 10,199 15,651 1.00
137 SYSTEM - WIDE PSYCHOLOGIST 93,023 71,162 11,151 10,710 1.00 52,879 36,587 6,117 10,175 0.50
138 INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM 24,405 0 0 24,405 0.00 26,185 0 0 26,185 0.00
139 READING 665,320 554,279 86,856 24,185 8.54 601,710 496,479 83,011 22,220 6.98
140 STAFF DEVELOPMENT 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 0.00
145 PUPIL ENTITLEMENT 3,255 0 0 3,255 0.00 3,255 0 0
3,255 0.00
Total Instructional Support 1,608,850 1,239,676 191,078 178,096 20.47 1,535,830 1,166,840 197,073 171,917 18.16
Special Education Budgets
150 PEEP 296,561 249,084 39,494 7,983 4.95 306,526 259,058 39,874 7,594 4.95
151 SPED/ ELEMENTARY 1,178,615 1,009,678 155,555 13,382 24.37 905,118 771,564 120,799 12,755 19.51
152 SPED/ MIDDLE SCHOOL 519,316 447,390 67,461 4,465 10.29 576,117 493,811 78,049 4,257 11.22
153 SPED/HIGH SCHOOL 639,797 541,932 85,319 12,546 8.12 671,899 564,807 95,158 11,934 8.12
156 SPEECH 477,046 404,635 63,406 9,005 6.20 472,863 398,335 65,973 8,555 5.60
157 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 167,290 138,657 21,728 6,905 1.90 168,260 138,537 23,163 6,560 1.90
159 ESL 172,147 146,917 23,251 1,979 2.86 179,025 153,387 23,758 1,880 2.86
160 ADAPTIVE SERVICES 80,431 53,797 9,043 17,591 1.00 82,364 54,550 10,223 17,591 1.00
165 OUT OF DISTRICT TUITION 1,370,676 0 0 1,370,676 0.00 1,468,466 0 0 1,468,466 0.00
Total Special Instruction 4,901,880 2,992,090 465,258 1,444,532 59.69 4,830,639 2,834,049 456,998 1,539,592 55.16
System Support Budgets
170 CENTRAL OFFICE 1,005,662 730,254 120,207 155,201 10.75 984,756 702,957 128,399 153,400 10.22
171 SCHOOL BOARD 25,575 17,000 1,575 7,000 0.00 25,633 17,000 1,633 7,000 0.00
173 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 4,024 0 0 4,024 0.00 3,823 0 0 3,823 0.00
174 ADULT EDUCATION 3,200 0 0 3,200 0.00 3,041 0 0 3,041 0.00
177 TECHNOLOGY PLAN 547,496 299,434 50,335 197,727 5.80 524,667 283,667 53,159 187,841 5.00
178 DATA PROCESSING 103,483 52,948 8,901 41,634 1.00 103,932 54,219 10,161 39,552 1.00
179 LARGE EQUIPMENT 34,704 0 0 34,704 0.00 36,860 0 0 36,860 0.00
180 TRAVEL IN DISTRICT 31,535 0 4,598 26,937 0.00 31,159 0 4,562 26,597 0.00
182 WELLNESS 2,258 0 0 2,258 0.00 2,146 0 0 2,146 0.00
183 INSURANCE 94,916 0 0 94,916 0.00 102,068 0 0 102,068 0.00
184 TELEPHONE 42,475 0 0 42,475 0.00 44,478 0 0 44,478 0.00
187 ATHLETIC FIELDS 57,202 0 0 57,202 0.00 52,758 0 0 52,758 0.00
188 MAINTENANCE 707,652 234,859 39,480 433,313 5.00 660,288 207,319 38,852 414,118 4.00
189 ENERGY 1,007,222 0 0 1,007,222 0.00 996,176 0 0 996,176 0.00
190 CIP 58,000 0 0 58,000 0.00 58,000 0 0 58,000 0.00
195 PUPIL TRANSPORTATION 722,872 0 0 722,872 0.00 745,309 0 0 745,309 0.00
197 SPACE RENTAL 63,260 0 0 63,260 0.00 52,384 0 0 52,384 0.00
Total System Support 4,511,535 1,334,495 225,095 2,951,945 22.55 4,427,478 1,265,162 236,765 2,925,551 20.22
36,904,000 20,795,283 10,535,978 5,572,739 359.00 36,904,000 20,798,628 10,524,151 5,581,225 344.27
New Franklin School is a K-5
Elementary School with an en-
rollment of approximately 270
students. New Franklin has a
rich and proud history of
providing an elementary educa-
tion for several generations of
local families. New Franklin is
a School-wide Title 1 school
and is fortunate to receive some
federal funds to provide addi-
tional supports to help all of our
students reach their potential.
New Franklin offers a balanced-
literacy approach to reading
instruction and a workshop
model for writing. We employ
Everyday Mathematics (EDM)
as our core mathematics pro-
gram, but supplement with nu-
merous enrichment, remediation
and numeracy-building experi-
ences. Science and Social Stud-
ies are instructed through an
inq ui ry -b ased ap proach .
New Franklin has made signifi-
cant academic growth according
to all assessment indicators. At
the end of the 2009-2010 aca-
demic year, 84% of our students
were reading at grade level ac-
cording to the Developmental
Reading Assessment (DRA).
Our goal for this year is to in-
crease that figure to 88%.
According to New England
Common Assessment Program
(NECAP) data, the percentage
of students in Grades 3-6
demonstrating proficiency in
Reading, Mathematics and
Writing has increased in each of
the last four years. The most
recent NECAP data describes
our students as 86% proficient
in Reading and 80% proficient
in Mathematics.
Additionally, Fifty-one percent
of our 3rd and 4th graders were
designated Proficient with Dis-
tinction in Mathematics. New
Franklin has a thriving academ-
ic and social culture and we’re
proud of our students’ commit-
ment to excellence and their
growth as learners and citizens.
While next year’s budget calls for reductions in human and material resources, we are committed
to challenging our students to excel in all facets of their lives. We plan to expand our efforts to
build robust literacy curriculum maps that embed essential skills into daily Reading and Writing
instruction.
In Mathematics, we will maintain our emphasis on developing strong mathematical reasoning
skills and promoting fact fluency in all students. Through the work of our Learning Teams, we
will continue to use assessments to inform the delivery of a highly-personalized and responsive
educational experience for all New Franklin students.
The Outlook
The Current Picture
0102030405060708090
100
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
NFS NECAP Proficiency 2006-2010
Reading
Math
Writing
* No writingdata in 2008-2009
*
NEW FRANKLIN SCHOOL Page 18
Dondero School
strives towards
providing all of
our students with
the skills and
attitudes neces-
sary to achieve
their potential .
As future citizens, they must learn to
think critically and creatively to solve
problems, make decisions, communi-
cate clearly, respect individual rights,
assume responsibilities and appreciate
the learning process.
Over the past six months, staff has
been working collaboratively to ana-
lyze student data and monitor student
progress in Professional Learning
Communities and/or professional de-
velopment workshops to close the
achievement gap. Looking at individ-
ual student needs, both strengths and
areas in need of growth, in comparison
to the whole class, has assisted teach-
ing teams in thinking creatively to sup-
port all learners; those needing to be
challenged, as well as those needing
additional support and/or more direct
instruction.
The implementation of the Japanese
Lesson Study, a cycle of collaborative
planning, instruction and refining, has
afforded teachers multiple pathways
for advancing their current teaching
practice and improving student think-
ing.
The recent release of NECAP scores
result in a notable increase in the num-
bers of students scoring ―Proficient‖
or ―Proficient with Distinction‖.
Commitment to Student Success
MARY C. DONDERO SCHOOL
We will continue to use the NECAP data, along with other data points, to review, evaluate and analyze our instruction-
al methods and expectations to increase student performance. Intervention blocks will become a consistent practice at
grade levels. Class schedules and staffing will continue to be examined, as we would like to provide extended learning
opportunities for Dondero students. Professional development will be provided to teachers to aid them in moving to-
wards implementing small group instruction and monitoring student progress.
Additionally, creating classroom environments that foster collaboration and strong relationships among students will
continue to be a focus at Dondero. In partnership with the PTA, Dondero will provide learning opportunities for chil-
dren beyond the classroom instruction by aligning curriculum with community-based resources.
“Positive relation-ships are the foun-dation for the social and academic suc-cess of children..”
-Pamela Seigle
Open Circle Founder
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
DES NECAP Proficiency 2006-2010
Reading
Math
Writing
* No writingdata in 2008-2009
*
Looking Ahead…
Page 19
L ittle Harbour School started the 2010-2011 school year with 465 students, the largest en-
rollment in its history.
Based on analysis of NECAP and Developmental Reading Assessment data, Little Harbour
staff developed three clear instructional areas of focus for the 2010-2011 school year.
Reading specialists, Literacy Lab teachers and classroom teachers have been collaborat-
ing to provide effective reading instruction by utilizing small strategy groups within classrooms.
In the area of literacy, the overall focus of our Professional Learning Communities has
been on developing students’ abilities to respond to reading through writing.
In the area of mathematics, teachers have focused on developing students’ ability to ex-
press their mathematical thinking. Some of this work has been done in conjunction with district
work in Japanese lesson study.
A hallmark of Little Harbour School continues to be remarkable parent involvement. Last
year parent volunteer hours added up to the equivalent of three full-time positions. Our PTA holds
many wonderful community events and raises considerable money for student enrichment activi-
ties. Finally, Teaching and Learning team, parents and staff have been working on issues around
school climate.
This type of reflective, collabo-
rative practice has resulted in
consistent growth in student
achievement.
As demonstrated on the above
graph, Little Harbour’s scores
on the state’s NECAP test have
improved for six straight years
in Mathematics and for five of
the past six years in Reading.
We continue to substantially
outperform the state. Some
highlights of our performance
on the NECAPs:
89% of our students achieved
proficiency in reading while
87% achieved proficiency in
math.
We achieved over 90% profi-
ciency in three separate grade-
level assessments. (Grade 3
Math– 97%, Grade 5 Reading–
93%, Grade 6 Reading 92%)
On the fifth grade writing as-
sessment, 82% of Little Har-
bour students demonstrated
proficiency in contrast to 56%
of students statewide.
As we look toward next year,
we will continue to reflect and
collaborate around data in order
to drive student performance.
Building on Success
L ITTLE HARBOUR SCHOOL
Grade 4 Science Inquiry
Fifth Graders Getting Organized For The Day
Working on Historical Journals
Learning with Technology
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
LHS NECAP Proficiency 2006-2010
Reading
Math
Writing
* No writingdata in 2008-2009
*
Page 20
The current budget challenges have provid-
ed new opportunities for Portsmouth Mid-
dle School!
While we understand the economic climate
requiring the reduction of two English Lan-
guage Arts teachers, PMS is using this as
an opportunity to reconfigure our master
schedule.
There will be many new changes here at
PMS for the 2011-2012 school year!
First and foremost, is the lengthening of the
school day. We are reformatting our master
schedule to accommodate this change.
By shortening our current homeroom time,
along with the additional time that we are
adding to our school day, we will be able to
provide increased instructional time for our
students.
This will allow our students to have longer
instructional blocks for all academic clas-
ses, to have access to an intervention/
enrichment block, provide more opportuni-
ties for unified arts classes, and create
stronger foreign language component.
These changes are exciting as we believe
that they will provide a stronger academic
curriculum for our students.
EXTENDED LEARNING
During the summer of 2011 we will be of-
fering our students additional learning time.
PMS will be running several two week
classes, as well as four week classes, at the
Community Campus. The classes will focus
on core reading and math competencies and
will be taught by Portsmouth Middle
School faculty. We will be collaborating
with the New Heights Program so that our
students who want to stay for an extended
day and participate in the New Heights ac-
tivities will be able to do so.
5-2-1-0 Healthy NH
PMS is very excited about the 5-2-1-0 ac-
tivities that we have offered this year and
will expand on during the 2011-2012
school year. 5-2-1-0 is a statewide initiative
to bring awareness to the daily guidelines
for nutrition and physical activity.
5- fruits and vegetables a day
2 -cut screen time to 2 hours or less a day
1 -hour of moderate to vigorous exercise
per day
0 -restrict soda and sugar sweetened sports
and fruit drinks
Examples of activities:
Mount Major Hike
PMS Sugar Challenge
Kiwi Tasting
All School Wellness Walk
Healthy Snacks
5-2-1-0 Literacy Corner
Expanded Initiatives for 2011-2012
Budget Challenges Bring New
Opportunities for PMS
PORTSMOUTH M IDDLE SCHOOL
February, 2011
Graphs or pictures low
Page 21
As has been stated numerous times, Portsmouth
High School is and will remain committed to
the three A’s: Academics, Athletics and the
Arts. It is by virtue of this commitment that our
students and graduates alike have built a solid
foundation for life after PHS. The class of 2010
is a shining example of this commitment. Their
success can be measured and quantified in many
different ways: high SAT scores, state champi-
onships in athletics, world percussion finals and
gold medals in band, high NECAP scores and
community service. Perhaps most impressive
was their work to reach out to alumni and rekin-
dle their inner ―Clipper Pride.‖ This project cul-
minated in our beautiful memory walk outside
the main entrance. Their scholarship and com-
mitment to further their education led to a rec-
ord high number of students moving on to two
and four year colleges, more than Portsmouth
High School has seen in ten years. They have
set a high standard for excellence and our cur-
rent students are working diligently to surpass
that bar.
The current senior class is fully engaged in the
search to continue their educational journey.
College acceptances are arriving daily and the
list is certainly impressive. Our most recent NE-
CAP data, assessing the current junior class,
indicates overall and sub group improvements
in reading, math and writing. We have countless
reasons for ―Clipper Pride.‖
Throughout the 2011 – 2012 school year
Portsmouth High School will be engaging
in a comprehensive self-study that will
last a year, for our decennial evaluation
by the New England Association of
Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
This study will consist of analyzing and
comparing our current practice with na-
tionally recognized best practices and will
involve all members of our faculty and
staff. As a school, we are looking for-
ward to taking the opportunity to closely
examine our current practice in relation to
the Seven Standards Of Accreditation:
Core Values, Beliefs and Learning Ex-
pectations
Curriculum,
Instruction
Assessment of and For Student Learning
School Culture and Leadership
School Resources for Learning
Community Resources for Learning.
The end result of this process will be a
blueprint of ways to improve and
strengthen teaching and learning at Ports-
mouth High School.
In addition to the NEASC self-study,
Portsmouth High School remains commit-
ted to helping our students achieve
through the principles contained in Pro-
fessional Learning Communities. Data on
standardized tests, as well as authentic
common formative assessments, point to
successes across the board and we contin-
ue to be committed to this important
work.
To become more prescriptive in our re-
sponse to our student’s needs, we have
looked to our current interventions blocks
and restructured them in such a way as to
provide students who are struggling with
targeted instruction in Literacy and Nu-
meracy.
With a new school year approaching, we
will look to improve upon the gains our
students have made as measured by stand-
ardized tests such as the New England
Common Assessment Program and
SAT’s. We will continue to look for new
and innovative ways to engage our stu-
dents in the learning process and create a
more prescriptive system of interventions
for our student.
Finally, we will continue our efforts to
reduce even further our 0.3% dropout
rate.
Charting a Course to 2011-2012 and Beyond
―Clipper Pride‖
PORTSMOUTH H IGH SCHOOL
JANUARY, 2011
Graphs or pictures low
Page 22
The Robert J. Lister Academy (RJLA) is an innovative public high school program de-
signed for students who have been unable to succeed in more traditional settings.
RJLA strives to provide each student with a child specific education tailored to their in-
dividual academic, social, behavioral, and therapeutic needs, while preparing students for
their vocational and post-secondary school aspirations.
The program is funded through out-of-district tuition with minimal cost to the Portsmouth
School District. This funding structure allows 14 Portsmouth students to attend our spe-
cialized program. The savings to the Portsmouth School Department by educating these
students within our own district and avoiding out-of-district special education placements
is $553,000.
Great Bay Community College:
Six junior and senior students are taking
a class on-campus at Great Bay Commu-
nity College as part of their regular high
school day.
This program was developed six years
ago, as a transition pathway to post-
secondary education for our students.
Students receive 3 college credits and
the opportunity to take an additional
class at Great Bay Community College.
Thirty students have participated in this
program to date.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services:
Vocational Rehabilitation has supported
our efforts of career and work-based
education through a two year grant.
Presently, students participate in a two
tier career education curriculum culmi-
nating in community based internships.
Eligible students also meet with a voca-
tional rehabilitation counselor on a
monthly basis at our school.
Partnerships
ROBERT J . L ISTER ACADEMY Begin with the end in mind
Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of com-
munity
2010-2011
Costa Rica Class of 2011
Fundraising Goal
Innovative Project-Based Curriculum
Seven students are participating in an integrated ecology and business class. Students
have studied Monte Verde Costa Rica and have designed individual research projects
that they will travel to Costa Rica to gather data to complete.
The business class was used as a means for students to study and practice entrepreneuri-
al and fundraising principals with the task of raising $15,000 dollars to fund their re-
search by the deadline of March 1, 2011.
Page 23
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Important Budget Meeting Dates
April 11 Public Hearing at PHS - Pro-
posed FY12 Budget by City
Council
April 20 City Council Work Session with
School Department
May 9 City Council Re-open Public
Hearing at PHS
May 18 City Council Work Session and
final budget review
June 6 City Council—Final Budget
Adoption
Back Row: Tom Martin, Ed McDonough, Steve
Zadravec, Kent LaPage, Steve Bartlett, Leslie Ste-
vens.
Front Row: Linda Briolat, Ann Walker, Mitch
Shuldman, Carol Chellman and Rebecca Emerson
Not Pictured: Dexter Legg and Clay Hayward
P O R T S M O U T H S C H O O L B O A R D
The Portsmouth School Board is commit-
ted to establishing a shared
community vision for the education of all
children. It pledges open and honest com-
munication with its educators, parents,
students and the public at large.
Mitchell Shuldman, Chair
Ann Walker, Vice Chair
Carol Chellman
Rebecca Emerson
Clay Hayward
Kent LaPage
Dexter Legg
Tom Martin
Leslie Stevens