By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

After a valiant effort by the Allenstown School Board and school building committee, a $3.4 million bond for improvements to the district’s two schools failed by seven votes.

However, voters did approve $725,000 to buy the Allenstown Tractor building for use as a new police station. Article 7 passed by a vote of 417-195.

Voters will keep the official ballot law, commonly known as SB2, rather than go back to the traditional Town Meeting form of government.

“I still would like to see it changed back,” said Selectman Peter Viar.

He said next year the selectmen should work with the school board to get SB2 on both the school and town warrants.

“I’m just very happy with the election and I’m happy with everything on the warrant articles,” said Selectman Sandra McKenney, who was in favor of keeping SB2. “We got basically everything we wanted.”

McKenney said she congratulates the 632 voters who came out in the snowstorm to vote.

Contested races
Thomas R. Gilligan won the one-year seat on the board of selectmen with 306 votes.

“I’m humbled by the results,” said Gilligan. “I think it will be a real honor to represent the town over the next year.”

Gilligan thanked the voters who came out in the snow, his family for supporting him, and his campaign staff.

William Barnett received 159 votes and zoning board Chairman Robert Lee received 83 votes in the selectman’s race.

Evelyn P. Guilbeault, who has served on the school board for 20 years, won another threeyear term with 362 votes. This will be her eighth term on the school board.

“All I can say is I think this will be my last,” said Guilbeault.

Jason J. Carrier also won a seat on the school board with 306 votes.

“I’m enthusiastic about being elected,” said Carrier. “I’m excited about the upcoming term.”

Carrier also said he was disappointed that the school bond failed.

“It will make it challenging for the school board members and faculty,” he said.

Victor Martin lost the school board race with 263 votes.

Rejected improvements
Voters shot down spending $3,535,985 for an addition to Allenstown Elementary School and renovations to both the Armand R. Dupont and Elementary schools. A total of 618 people voted for this article, which required a three-fifths majority. That means 371 votes were needed for the article to pass, but only 364 voted yes.

“Unfortunately, we lost by seven votes, but I was just very disappointed,” said Thomas Irzyk, chairman of the building committee.

Irzyk said he worries about how the lack of an addition will affect the special services that are offered in the school, as the addition would have given the school adequate space for special instruction.

“We have kids trying to get services in a hallway,” he said. “It’s just a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

The school board planned to meet on Thursday, March 10, to discuss options for next year.

Irzyk also said he doubts the Allenstown School District will have another opportunity to get 60 percent reimbursement from the state. Construction costs and bond rates are likely to increase, so a new proposal would nrrd more money next year.

He is disappointed that McKenney wrote letters to the editors with incorrect figures. “I think this selectperson did an injustice to the town,” said Irzyk.

New police station
Voters approved taking $125,000 from surplus to put into a Public Safety Facilities Capital Reserve Fund, which reduced what Allenstown taxpayers will pay for a new police station to $600,000.

“(It) will bring the tax rate down,” McKenney said.

The money will be used to purchase and renovate the building that currently houses the Allenstown Tractor Building that sits at the corner of Granite Street and Route 3.

“We’re certainly enthused that the police department got the support it needed,” Viar said.

The costs will be paid by a 10-year bond with a 4.5 interest rate.

The current police station is located in the basement of the Allenstown Municipal Building, which is inadequate for the department’s 10 full-time employees.

The booking area is located in the main room of the police station, where most of the employees work. Employees, citizens, victims and prisoners use the same bathroom and the same entrance.

“I think it’s a good morale boost for those guys,” said Viar. “They need to get out of the basement.”

Both budgets passed
Allenstown voters approved a $8,138,708 school operating budget, which makes the combined school tax rate $15.30. Voters approved a town operating budget of $3,653,611.

Paraprofessional agreement
Voters approved salary and benefits increases established in a collective bargaining agreement between the school board and the Allenstown Paraprofessional Association for the next three fiscal years. In that agreement, the paraprofessionals’ salaries and benefits will increase by $41,139 in the 2005-06 fiscal year, $24,055 in the 2006-07 fiscal year, and $23,988 in the 2007-08 fiscal year.