The Exeter Region Cooperative District was formed in 1996 to provide comprehensive educational programs for students in grades 6 through 12 living in the geographic boundaries of the school system. Elementary schools sending students to the Cooperative District include Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields, and Stratham. Previously, students from school districts surrounding Exeter attended the Exeter secondary schools on a tuition basis. Subsequent to forming the Cooperative, the District constructed a new middle school located in Stratham to provide a modern educational environment for students in grades 6 through 8. The district is governed by a board with 3 representatives from Exeter, 2 from Stratham, 1 from East Kingston, 1 from Kensington, 1 from Brentwood and 1 from Newfields.
SAU16 is staffed by 460 professional teachers, 28 administrators (central office, principals, assistant principals and directors), and 400 non-certified staff (aides, maintenance, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers). The teachers are represented by seven different teachers’unions, while eight school committees direct various aspects of the district’s work. Combined budgets total nearly $50 million.
A $35.5 million bond issue received 61.6 percent of the vote in March of 2000 to support the construction of a new high school to serve students in grades 9 through 12. The referendum for capital funding was challenged with litigation. Court decisions have been appealed, but additional litigation challenging the court’s decision is pending.
The investment per pupil at the Cooperative Middle School level is $6,600 and at the Exeter High School level of $7,746. This is computed by taking a gross expenditure of $26,685,823 and subtracting required out-of-district special education programs of $441,204. Student transportation consists of $806,302, a debt service principal of $3,348,492 and interest on the debt of $246,316. Pupil/teacher ratios are about average for the cohort group, with 245 full-time equivalent teachers serving 2,845 full-time students for a ratio of 11.61 to1 when guidance counselors, nurses, psychologists, librarians, vocational teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, special education teachers and other such specialists are included. The ratio of classroom teachers to students is 14.58 to 1.
This Audit was limited to the Cooperative Middle School and High School of Exeter Region Cooperative School District.
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