Joint Facilities Advisory Committee Update The month of March was busy for the Joint Facilities Advisory Committee (JFAC) and its related subcommittees. Through the next year, until voting day 2022 and beyond, JFAC will provide monthly updates to the Amherst School Board, at board meetings and in board communications to the public, such as in these letters and on social media. Public Relations Committee The PR committee is creating an in-depth calendar to outline the plan and the resources needed to promote this project to the Amherst community.

School Start Time Change – During our meeting on March 8, the Amherst School Board will vote to ratify new school times for the 2021-22 school year. The new times, listed below, represent a multi-year effort by SAU 39 to shift start times in order to access the prime learning windows for all students. Last month, the SAU Board voted 14-2 to send these new start times to the individual boards.

Changes for the Ballot, Voting Day January and February normally mark the finalization of the budget process, presenting it to the public and getting it ready for the ballot in March. After our public hearing presentation in mid-January, we are making two changes – one directed by the school board and one guided by the COVID-19 pandemic. First, you can postpone putting on your voting boots. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Chris Sununu signed Emergency Order 83 on January 22 that allowed towns to delay deliberative sessions and voting day until later this spring.