Stan Heinrich

Stan Heinrich

The Merrimack School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to present a revised, $17.7 million, 875-student seventh- and eighth-grade middle school proposal to voters this April, with the hope that voters will embrace the less expensive plan.

The board also voted unanimously to "streamline" the number of warrant articles down to 10 by cutting two special capital reserve funds, one of which would have gone toward the construction of a new central school administration office.

Voters will now be faced with a school proposal that costs $1 million less than the $18.7 million, 1,000-student seventh- and eighth-grade school proposal which has failed in each of the last two years.

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Planning and building committee member Stan Heinrich said the seventh- and eighth-grade plan would meet the district's long-term needs.He said the district would not serve its best interests and compromise the students' needs by continuing to reduce the cost of the plan every year.

"What happens if it doesn't pass this year?"Heinrich said."How much more are we going to be expected to go down next year?Are we going to be like used car salesmen and keep reducing the price?

"We need to keep hammering it home: The district needs a new school."Rung said Tuesday that she understood the concerns of the planning and building committee and agreed with them that the seventh- and eighth-grade school is the best option.At the same time, however, she said the district must sell a plan that people can afford.