Vote These Candidates for
Cooperative School Board and Budget Advisory Committee

My name is Brian Duffy, and I am excited to run for Brentwood’s seat on the Cooperative School Board, which oversees the Cooperative Middle School and Exeter High School. My two sons currently attend Exeter High School. I am in my fifth year on the Swasey School Board and completing my first year as chair of that Board. During my five years I have helped the school to weather the pandemic, negotiated a fair contract for the Brentwood Teachers Association and negotiated the first ever contract for the Brentwood Educational Support Professionals. I have spent five years on the SAU 16 Policy Committee, shaping policies to help the schools comply with applicable laws.

I worked with the rest of the Board and administration to install solar panels on the roof of the school to provide sustainable energy and reduce energy costs. Our Swasey students will benefit from the science curriculum resources that the solar panel vendor has contributed such as kits for hands on experiments, and teacher training materials  We now have web accessible data for system performance and production metrics that are available for monitoring by our educators and students.

I look forward to bringing the same reason and pragmatism to the Coop board to ensure that the middle and high schools are adequately and appropriately funded and that educators have the necessary support and independence to deliver the best education possible to our children. In my day job, I am general counsel at Northeast Delta Dental, where I oversee contracts, compliance, corporate governance, and advocacy.

After consultation with family and friends, I've decided to file for the Kensington seat on the SAU 16 Cooperative School Board. I hadn't planned on taking on this role, but as a graduate of Exeter High School with two boys currently students there, I am deeply invested in ensuring that the quality of education in our school district remains outstanding. For those of you who are familiar with my record in public life, you know I will do all I can to work collaboratively with fellow board members, faculty, staff, and students in support of excellence in public education at this critical time.
To my neighbors and old friends in Kensington, Stratham, Exeter, Newfields, East Kington, and Brentwood, I look forward to connecting with you in the coming weeks.”
Let's get to work.

My name is Neil Bleicken and I’m a candidate to be a Member of the COOP School Board from Exeter.  My wife Lisa and I are deeply grateful to have the opportunity to raise our two sons in this remarkable community and to send them to the excellent schools they have had the good fortune of attending. If elected, I pledge to be a constructive presence on the COOP School Board that balances my deep respect for our educators, administrators, and professional staff with the need to hold our schools accountable to the highest standards of excellence.   

I believe strongly in the importance of civic engagement and public service. While I have spent most of my adult life in the private sector as a professional investor, I have also spent a significant amount of time as a volunteer in a variety of roles.  

My current and previous volunteer experiences have prepared me well to join the COOP School Board. I’m currently the Treasurer of the Exeter (Elementary) School District, an elected position that oversees the financial functions of Exeter’s elementary schools and preschool. Previously, I served for five years on the Exeter (Elementary) School Board (March 2016-March 2021), including one year as its Chair from April 2020 to March 2021 during the COVID-19 Pandemic. From October 2013 to September 2016, I served on the Leadership Council of Tenacity, a Boston non-profit that partners with the Boston Public Schools to help less advantaged youth succeed in school and life. As of this writing, I’m the Co-President of Exeter High School’s Cross Country Track and Field Booster Club, of which I’ve been a member since June 2023. I’m also an active parent volunteer for the Exeter High School Band.

Other relevant experiences I’ve had include volunteering twice at Grand Canyon National Park just after both college (for four months) and graduate school (for six weeks); three years at the White House’s National Security Council, two years of which I spent on the NSC Staff as an Intelligence Analyst; and, three years serving on Newburyport’s Harbor Commission when we lived in Massachusetts.

I was raised in the Boston suburbs and left New England for 15 years before returning home. I earned a BA from Georgetown University with a double major in English (Honors) and Government and an MBA from Duke University with a concentration in finance.

I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Mike Mackey and I’m running to represent Newfields on the Budget Advisory Committee for SAU16.

I am a strong believer in the foundational importance of quality public education. It’s

a critical building block for a fulfilling life and the base on which strong towns, states and the country are built.

Having said that, I also believe it’s essential that our schools deliver a quality education in the most cost-effective manner. In these challenging times, when the State of NH is cutting funds to local schools and town governments, it’s even more

important that we be fiscally responsible, being sensitive to the tax impact on local residents while maintaining high standards and a quality education.

I spent over 40 years working in transportation, with the last 22 years working with UPS- retiring as General Manager Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico for the heavy freight division. UPS ingrained in me the importance of focusing on the primary objective while never losing sight of the cost to meet that objective.

While at UPS I had accountability for business results --- revenues and profits. I lived the world of budgets, revenue forecasts, cost management and profit plans. And through my work in Canada, Mexico and Puerto I learned the value of listening to multiple perspectives before making decisions, and the importance of listening to the people doing the job since they tend to know the most about it.

My wife Phyllis and I moved to Newfields 18 years ago. By that time we were empty nesters so we don’t have direct experience as SAU 16 parents. However, a passion for education is in our DNA. My grandmother was a public school Principal during the Depression and my mother was a Chemistry instructor at a State University. I’m especially proud of my mom being the first female to graduate from UNH as a Chemistry major! My wife’s mother, both grandmothers and grandfather were public school teachers. For myself, earlier in my life I was a Sunday school teacher of elementary school kids; THAT was a humbling experience and gave me a healthy respect for a few of the challenges faced by teachers!

I graduated from Trinity College (Hartford) with a BA in Economics and earned an MBA from Syracuse University in Transportation & Distribution Management. I put myself through Syracuse working as a Graduate Assistant focusing on student internships and continuing education for industry members. While in graduate school I also worked as a Dock Supervisor for Yellow Freight (that was an education!) and in my younger days, I worked at the Funarama arcade in Hampton, and cooked at Warren’s and Newicks.

Having retired from UPS (and no longer traveling 70% of the time) I’d like to give back to our community by serving on the Budget Advisory Committee. I currently serve on the Newfields Elementary School Budget Advisory Committee. I’d appreciate your vote for me, Mike Mackey for SAU 16 Budget Advisory Committee – Newfields. This is on the separate SAU ballot. Thank you.

I have thrown my hat into the ring for a three year term on the SAU16 Budget Advisory Committee which covers the budget talks for the Cooperative Middle School and Exeter High School. I would be a representative from Exeter, but will be working in the best interest of the students and residents of all six SAU16 towns.

While I can't say I have any direct experience in public education since being a student, and my substitute teaching days in the mid-80's, I have been a fairly public champion of responsible funding for our local public schools since moving back to Exeter in 2005. I am still a proud public school parent for another year and a half. I know that my own children have benefitted from a pretty decently run public school system with great teachers and a solid amount of support from our community. I was brought up by parents who cared a great deal about, and fought for public schools in my hometown of North Attleboro, Massachusetts. They set a great example. My own degrees are in Economics and Public Policy and I am a former CFP® Practitioner.

As long as I can remember, there have been challenges to the SAU16 Budget at the annual deliberative sessions. These are no more than last minute attempts to irresponsibly slash well vetted budget proposals that have been brought to the people for consideration. What many do not realize is that fixed costs and contractual obligations make up for the vast majority of the school budget which means that these ongoing and most recent last minute attempted amendments for budget cuts of $2M or more have had the potential to wreak havoc on the plans and work that have already gone into the budget in open public sessions. So far, these amendments have been roundly defeated, but proposed budgets still depend upon your votes in the affirmative lest we wind up with a default budget.
I am running for this position because I want to give back to this community which has served my family so well, and so that many more children in this community will have the opportunity to share in that good fortune well into the future.
I am also running at this time because I feel that there are potentially damaging headwinds coming to public education in NH.

Our current Governor has promised no new taxes at the state level at the same time the Dividends and Interest Tax has gone away, so there is a loss of considerable revenue. It has been and continues to be the habit of the New Hampshire Legislators to balance the state budget on the backs of the towns by cost shifting which has a direct and upward impact on property taxes. The complaints about property taxes and its regressive nature are on the rise already.

Our current Commissioner of Education sent each of his seven kids to private schools, which is fine, but has clearly shown in almost too many ways to count that he is no advocate for strengthening public schools in NH.

While the Governor's proposed budget claims the highest funding ever for public education and special education, her proposed budget is not THE budget and will have to move through the legislative process in Concord where it has already been widely criticized.

The state is already fighting the most recent court decision on proper funding of an "adequate education" and they've been doing that successfully now for some 30 years. Federal funding from the Department of Education (if it still exists in 6 months) is in question to say the least.

The expansion of the voucher program seems to be on a fast track for passage, and cost estimates of over $100M are not exaggerated. The voucher program WILL reduce funding for public schools with ZERO regard for fixed costs which are barely reduced when student numbers are down. Our own SAU is experiencing a substantial uptick in special education needs and their associated costs which we are obligated by law to pay. Educational and other mandates from outside our system continue to drive up costs as well.

In short, with a potential drop in Federal and State funding, attacks on public education and/or the lack of support from both Executive and Legislative leadership, an ever expanding voucher system and a regressive system of property taxation that invites well deserved criticism, we may face some difficult decisions.

I believe that I can be a strong but reasonable advocate for keeping our SAU properly funded especially if difficult decisions have to be made. I will do my best as a BAC member to assist in keeping our schools properly funded and running efficiently to give our children and teachers the best experience and educational opportunities that we can, during what may be very challenging times ahead.

I would appreciate your personal vote of confidence and an affirmative vote for the SAU16 Budget on Tuesday, March 11th.
Thank you!

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