GOFFSTOWN - Goffstown, New Boston and Dunbarton have reached an agreement on an overpayment in tuition to Goffstown by the two sending towns.

At a recent meeting facilitated by the state Department of Education, Goffstown School District agreed to reimburse the New Boston School District $120,770 and the Dunbarton School District $63,140 over the next two years.

The error was discovered by Dunbarton School Board member Jeff Trexler in October, 2011 as the school boards were preparing to renegotiate their Authorized Regional Enrollment Area (AREA) agreement with Goffstown.

The overpayment stems from two separate issues.

One is an appraisal of Goffstown High School that was conducted by the Local Government Center at the request of the School Administrative Unit (SAU.)

The second was the rental charge paid to Goffstown by the sending towns, which remained the same for several years despite fluctuating enrollment figures.

The rental charge is calculated by multiplying the value of the buildings and sites by 2.5 percent, then dividing that figure by the number of students during the prior school year.

Dunbarton School Board Chairman Rene Ouellett said discussions were "dogged and determined," but resulted in terms that considered fairness from many points of view.

New Boston School Board member Wendy Lambert said the relationship among the three districts continued to be strong, and one where open and honest conversations about concerns can be expressed.

"I'm pleased with the final outcome," said Goffstown School Board member Keith Allard, "and I look forward to a continuing positive relationship between all three districts."

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