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In the battle against obesity, exercise, healthy eating, and stress reduction are considered the most effective weapons.  But these evidence-based strategies also drive down the cost of health care plans for schools, municipalities, counties, and other public agencies that belong to public sector risk pools.

That perspective wasn’t lost on SAU 39 Human Resources Director Carrie James when in late spring she kicked off the annual open enrollment, a time when teachers and other school employees are asked to choose a medical coverage plan for themselves and their families.

When SAU 48 launched a building renovation project two years ago, Plymouth Elementary School principal Julie Flynn recognized an opportunity to expand and update the school's technology inventory.

"Technology has always been a priority at Plymouth Elementary School, and we've invested in equipment," Flynn said. "But it changes so rapidly that it's hard to keep up, and we found ourselves duct taping to keep things going."

By Marcy Bauers

School districts across the state of New Hampshire have each adopted a new policy in response to Governor John Lynch’s signing of the Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention Act (RSA 193-F). The reenacted RSA required that the policy be in place no later than six months after the Act’s effective date of July 1, 2010.

A recent regionalization survey by LGC asked: “Are there any cooperative agreements between your municipality and school district(s)?” And, even though nearly all districts in New Hampshire are independent of their respective communities, 40 percent of the respondents said that they do have interlocal agreements and have forged partnership as a way to save money, maximize use of facilities and tap into an area of expertise to avoid duplication.

New Hampshire school administrators, nutrition professionals, nurses, teachers and local farmers didn’t need a celebrity chef coming to town to get inspired to change the way our kids eat. With no film crew, no media buzz, creative people have been at work for years in New Hampshire to bring healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables into our schools, and they’re getting results.

It's the beginning of yet another school year and it is hard to believe my daughter is in fifth grade-her final year in her comfortable and nurturing little elementary school. As I reflect back on why I feel that way about her school and what makes any school, in general, a warm and welcoming environment for learning, it occurs to me that it's like a giant puzzle and many pieces have to come together to create the right atmosphere. It isn't just one thing or group of things that makes it so.

By Robin Steiner, assistant superintendent of Kearsarge Regional School District (SAU #65)

China has been at the top of my list of "places to visit" for many years. My wish came true when I was recently selected by the College Board in the United States and Hanban in China for a nine-day educational exchange with China. In June, I joined 400 educators from all parts of our country in Beijing. There we began our cultural orientation and then split up into several groups that were sent to schools all over China.

The 2009-10 school season recessed on an upbeat note for the Gorham, Randolph and Shelburne Cooperative School District (SAU #20) with the arrival and use of two new environmentally-friendly school buses. The district replaced two older buses with state-of-the-art model year 2010 buses—the first in New England that meet emission standards up to 25 times more stringent than the buses they replace.

As reported in the Providence Journal, the first two options were not feasible. Since the city has only one high school, closure was not possible. And taking over a failing school is not something charter or management organizations often want to take on. Originally, the teachers agreed to the third option, which would have meant more training and more time spent in and out of the classroom. But the two sides could not agree on compensation and other issues, leading the superintendent to recommend firing everyone. While the unions are fighting the move, U.S.

There has been a great deal of discussion about today’s high school curriculum and how to be best preparing young adults for the 21st century and a global economy. Whether it be school-to-work opportunities, foreign exchanges, civics education or other programs, getting students involved in community seems to be a common theme. For the past 13 years, one high school in New Hampshire has quietly been getting seniors involved on the local level as a requirement to graduate.