District overview
Sunapee School District
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
How Sunapee schools are paid for and who decides
Sunapee School District (SAU 85) runs two schools in Sunapee, New Hampshire: Sunapee Central Elementary School and Sunapee Middle High School (grades 6-12). Most of the money comes from local property taxes, which voters approve each March at the town ballot vote after a February deliberative session (the SB2 system). The district also earns tuition from about 90 students sent by nearby towns. A five-member school board, elected to three-year terms, sets the budget and policy and hires the superintendent.
Taxes pay most costs
Of the proposed $15.7 million 2026-27 budget, about $14.1 million was to be raised by taxes, with an estimated school tax rate of $5.69 per $1,000.
Tuition students
About 90 to 94 students from towns such as Goshen, Croydon and Unity attend on tuition, bringing in money and filling seats.
Voters decide the budget
Voters can amend the budget at the deliberative session and approve it by ballot in March; if it fails, a lower default budget applies.
Rising fixed costs
Health insurance rose about 15.6% for 2026-27, and staff said it rose about 16% again.
Most figures here come from budget slides and machine-made captions; the collected records do not show the March 2026 vote results. The 2025 audit gave a clean opinion.
Where the district stands
Major projects
School tax cap vote (HB 1300)
on the November 3, 2026 ballotA state law lets towns vote on capping school taxes for two years. The board voted not to support it, and the superintendent warned of larger classes and fewer electives.
- Board votes not to support the cap
- First public forum
- Second public forum
- Ballot vote
Funding
Would limit local school property taxes
Sunapee Central Elementary playground rebuild
design done; fundraisingA new phased playground was presented in March 2026.
- Design being finalized
- Plan presented to the board
Funding
Private fundraising for equipment; district pays for fencing and paths
Middle/high school heating and cooling replacement
partly fundedThree rooftop units and controls are planned in three phases, about $600,000 in all. In June 2026 a failed unit over the main office, guidance and nurse was replaced.
- Reserve article on ballot
- Emergency unit replacement approved
Funding
Capital reserve (Article 5 added $50,000 from surplus); up to $75,000 from facilities reserve for an emergency unit
Recent news
School board recordings on the district's official YouTube channel (November 2025 to October 2026), read through their auto-generated captions, plus the 2026-27 budget hearing and deliberative session slides, warrant articles, budget breakdown and the 2025 annual report posted on sau85.org.
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