The Waterville Valley School Board met on October 15, 2026 to discuss critical facility upgrades and the potential impacts of a new state law concerning property tax caps. The meeting included a detailed review of an HVAC proposal, updates from the Principal, and an in-depth presentation on HB 1300.
HVAC System Upgrades and Bidding Challenges
The Board reviewed a proposal for HVAC system replacement, with the Director of Facilities present to answer questions. The initial bid process — which bundled engineering and installation — yielded only one response. Concerns were raised about the lack of competitive bids, attributed to the project’s remote location, relatively small scale, or the distance contractors would need to travel. (link)
The Board discussed whether separating the engineering and installation phases might attract more local HVAC companies, as smaller contractors in the area are capable of installation work but lack in-house engineering capacity. The engineering component alone was estimated at approximately $20,000. However, members noted the risk of miscommunication between a separately engaged engineer and an installer. For context, a larger project in Holderness — roughly two to three times the size — also received only two bids, suggesting that competitive interest in this region for HVAC work is limited regardless of project scale. (link)
The proposal presented several options. The base HVAC replacement project was quoted at $298,750. Adding air conditioning to all locations on campus not currently equipped would cost an additional $99,000. A more targeted option — replacing only the two oldest gym units (installed in 1989 and 1991) and seven exhaust fans — was also priced at $99,000. (link)
Given the age and deteriorating condition of the gym units — described as very old and increasingly noisy — the Board voted to move forward immediately with replacing those two units and the seven exhaust fans for $99,000, awarded to Johnson and Jordan, the school’s current maintenance vendor. The work is estimated to take two weeks and must be scheduled carefully to avoid conflicts with the recreation department’s summer programming use of the gym. The Board agreed to contact Johnson and Jordan before the November 19th meeting to confirm scheduling feasibility. (link)
It was noted that the Board’s current spending authority is limited to $99,000 without further action. Proceeding with the full $298,750 project would require either a warrant article or a public hearing to access retained fund balances — though a public hearing would not require a public vote. For the remaining HVAC units, the Board intends to separate the engineering and installation bidding processes in a future procurement cycle. (link)
Principal’s Report
The Principal provided updates on school activities and safety measures. Safety protocols include regular fire drills and a safety meeting held three times per year, with a fourth annual meeting involving the fire department, the Rey Center, and other departments. The school’s emergency operations plan has been submitted to the state. (link)
Student activities included successful fall hikes. Seven of nine middle school students participated in their hike. During the fall school hike, 15 students explored Cascade Path and viewed waterfalls, while a second group of 10 students hiked Noon and Jennings Peak — completing a full counterclockwise loop. (link)
Additional updates included a K-8 fire prevention assembly with the Department of Public Safety and the launch of a robotics enrichment program with 11 students, many of whom are building on experience from last year’s program. (link)
Upcoming events include a Veterans Day ceremony on November 10th at 8:45 AM, to be held in the school. On November 3rd, with voting taking place at the school, students will be dropped off at the building and then spend the day off-campus, with ice skating among the planned activities. (link)
Implications of HB 1300 — Property Tax Cap
A presentation was made on HB 1300, which passed into law and became RSA 32:5-I. The law requires a question to appear on the November state election ballot asking voters whether to cap local property tax increases. If approved by 60% of voters, the cap would limit year-over-year growth in the net required local education tax levy based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The cap would need to be reaffirmed on the 2028 ballot to remain in effect. (link)
Using prior-year figures as an illustration, the net required local tax education effort was approximately $764,000 (after backing out state education tax and bond payments). Applying the applicable CPI rate of 3.2% would have allowed the levy to grow by approximately $24,300. The current year’s school budget is $57,950 less than the prior year, meaning the cap would not have been triggered this cycle — but members expressed concern about future years. (link)
If the budget exceeds the cap in a future year, the Board could seek a 60% override vote at a March meeting, or could restructure how certain shared building costs (such as electricity and heat split with the town’s recreation department) are allocated between the school and town budgets.
Several specific scenarios were identified as potential pressure points if the cap takes effect:
- Tuition increases: An anticipated increase of three students attending Plymouth Regional High School could add approximately $75,000 in tuition costs, potentially blowing through the cap immediately. (link)
- Special needs enrollment: The unpredictable arrival of a student requiring special education services could cause significant unplanned budget increases, for which there is no cap exemption. A capital reserve fund dedicated to special education was suggested as a long-term mitigation strategy. (link)
- Enrollment growth: An influx of new families requiring the school to reopen a fourth classroom would similarly strain the budget beyond the cap limit. (link)
The Board emphasized the importance of educating the public on the potential impacts of HB 1300 while being careful not to engage in electioneering as board members. (link)
The meeting concluded with a brief mention of dental insurance, which will be addressed in a separate discussion, before the Board moved into non-public session.