Board of Aldermen 02-16-2021 Page 5
So we moved in the barriers and we crossed our fingers. The results were better than
anyone expected. Nashuans started flocking to our restaurants to eat outdoors, and no
real traffic congestion resulted. Michael Buckley, the owner of Surf and MT’s Local, told
us that “You may have saved many of us.” The expanded outdoor dining not only saved
small businesses, but it changed the vibe of downtown. More people, more activity,
more life. And when the warmer weather returns, | want to continue expanded outdoor
every year. Our small businesses have sacrificed a lot. | will always remember what this
pandemic has cost them and cost the employees who have gone without.
Our Schools Are Critical
While we have overcome some of the challenges Covid-19 has brought, there will more in the
future. In the months ahead we need to carefully to monitor the learning loss that our students
have suffered as a result of remote learning.
Our resources are limited, but we need to devote every dollar we can to making up any loss in
learning levels. Better skills mean a better life. We all want for our young people to look
forward to a meaningful career and a rewarding family life, and to do so they need to have the
foundation of a strong education.
| do want to take this moment to give a shout out to our teachers. Our teachers have had to
work harder to teach kids via the internet. They have come up with new, creative ways of
engaging with their students. | know it can be a struggle for some students, and for the teachers
themselves, but our school staff has stepped up to continue to encourage learning.
The State of New Hampshire should be vaccinating our teachers right now in order to get our
classrooms open as soon as possible. | have called upon the Governor to move teachers up
in priority so that we can get everyone back. | am glad that yesterday the School Department
began the process of bringing more students back to school.
As we look to the eventual return of all our students, we can look forward to new and improved
facilities for our middle schoolers. We are in the midst of a major improvement of our middle
school buildings, renovating the Fairgrounds and Pennichuck Schools, and starting on plans to
replace the aging Elm Street School with a new school and campus on Buckmeadow Road.
When these projects are done, Nashua will have the most state of the art middle schools in New
Hampshire, and they all with be generating more electricity than they use through solar power,
and all will have advanced classroom technology.
| want to thank Dr. Jahmal Mosley for his service to Nashua. And | want to congratulate Dr.
Garth McKinney on being selected as interim Superintendent. With his knowledge of our
schools, he will provide the continuity our district needs over the coming months.
The State is Raising Our Property Taxes by 5.5%
It is important tonight to discuss the serious financial challenges the City is facing right now. We
have a perfect storm of four major financial challenges all coming at the same time — the
pandemic, rising health care costs, the State’s decision to raise Nashua’s pension costs by $4.4
million, and acut in State school aid of another $7.4 million. At exactly the worst time, the State
of New Hampshire has slammed us with nearly $12 million in downshifted costs.
