Current Articles

In March of this year, Superintendent Mike Berry published a brief update on SAU39 educational performance. He again committed to increasing educational performance and maximizing taxpayer return on investment. That relationship between educational performance (outcomes) and taxes paid for education (investment) is known as Educational Value. We thought we'd take a closer look at both sides of that equation. Superintendent Berry compared SAU39 to state averages. Given the ver

The repeated failure to pass the Wilkins bond article reflects a community demand for a comprehensive district-wide facilities review rather than just addressing one school. Stakeholders seek a broader, more strategic approach that considers educational needs, financial status, and long-term planning across the district.

A longstanding stated core value of SAU39 is that we attend to the whole student. This translates into measuring student progress across three areas: academics, functional skills, and social-emotional learning (SEL). To do so requires tracking a balanced set of metrics that reflect both traditional academic achievement and the development of crucial life skills. Below are some metrics that are often used for each category: 1. Academic Progress: To assess academic progress, sc

Although SAU39 began working on a new strategic plan in April 2013, it still has not produced one well over a decade later. With no educational or financial guideposts in place, educational performance has varied, and spending has ballooned. The primary roles of a school board are to create an educational vision, related goals, supporting budgets, and high-level policies in conjunction with the administration. The Amherst School District (ASD) Board and the Souhegan School Bo