January 31, 2010

To the Editor:

Goffstown School Board Chairman Keith Allard and SAU19 Superintendent Stacy Buckley, decided to bring their own budget amount to Deliberative Session scheduled for February 1, 2010, stating that legal counsel had been consulted. 

It seemed to this observer that the same old team mentality of follow the leader would certainly happen; however, I was pleasantly surprised. One lone member of the Goffstown School Board, Lorry Cloutier, held strong. She asked questions and looked up the state statutes provided by the School Board’s attorney and found them to be invalid to the purpose proposed by Chairman Keith Allard and Superintendent Stacy Buckley. Lorry Cloutier took the time to educate herself and become aware of other sources not being quoted by the Chairman which would invalidate his claims. 

Her tenacity and her ability to do as one of the Mission Statements of the Goffstown High School lays down as a desired outcome for GHS students to “gather, interpret, and apply information using a variety of sources and technology” guided her rather than the leadership and the majority.

Congratulations Lorry for having the strength to stand up against the majority, think critically and 
independently and show the intelligence and initiative to analyze all the data, while your fellow board members marched off a cliff behind their misdirected leadership. 

When all was said and done....good won out over evil when Mr. Allard informed the Chairman of the Goffstown's Budget Committee the next day that he was in error when he "...received incorrect legal advice and acted upon it...". 

Cathie Simard
Goffstown Resident