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June 30, 2006

School, tax groups face off in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH -- Chanting "Saving Our Schools" and holding signs saying "Shame on You PCC," dozens of concerned parents and students filled the town clerk's office this morning to protest a citizens group's effort to call a special financial meeting and cut the school budget.

Save Our Schools supporters surrounded members of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens as they submitted 2,200 signatures from residents calling for the meeting, referred to locally as a tent meeting. The group needed about 1,250 signatures – 10 percent of the registered voters.

One teenager stood behind group leader Lawrence Fitzmorris and held a sign saying, "Don't Hurt the Kids, U Had a Good Education, We Need One Too."

A police officer eventually quieted the demonstrators, but the two sides engaged in shouting matches over the $32.5 million school budget approved on Monday that brings a 9.2-percent tax-rate increase.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Officials projected the tent meeting would cost around $50,000.

"We could use it for a lot better purposes than holding a tent meeting to cut the budget," said SOS supporter Michelle McGaw, who has two teenagers in Portsmouth schools.

Hearing her comment, PCC member Nancy Askew told her that residents should be proud their town allows people to be heard. "Let the people speak," she said.

Town Clerk Kathleen Viera-Beaudoin said it should take a couple of days to verify the signatures. If enough are deemed valid, the meeting will take place on either Aug. 12 or Aug. 19.

-- Journal staff writer Kia Hall Hayes

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:10 PM | Permalink

June 30, 2006

School, tax groups face off in Portsmouth

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