City school district to remain independent

By SCOTT BROOKS New Hampshire Union Leader Staff 3 hours, 30 minutes ago MANCHESTER – A proposal to give the Board of Mayor and Aldermen a bigger say on the school district's finances won't be heading to the November ballot after all, officials on both sides of the issue said yesterday. The measure was effectively killed late Tuesday night, when the board voted 8-4 to block the city from holding a public hearing on the question. The outcome was a victory for the district's new superintendent, Tom Brennan, and for members of the school board, who would have risked losing some authority over the district's budget. Mayor Frank Guinta called the vote disappointing. He said he believes the city could save as much as $250,000 a year by merging the city and school administrations, as the measure would have allowed. The mayor also... [read full story]