Bow school board removes Klunk from three committees

School Board · Meeting of October 8, 2026

BOW — The Bow School Board voted 5-0 to remove member Melanie Klunk from three committee assignments while it reviews conduct complaints involving district employees. Board members said they consulted legal counsel before acting and stressed the vote was not a decision on formal censure; member Jenna was appointed to the Policy Committee in Klunk's place. The same meeting featured a lengthy debate over chronic athletic transportation shortages after parent Ashley Fournier told the board "this is not a sustainable model" and asked for a written long-term plan.

Duane, who oversees transportation, said the district runs 22 buses on 12 routes but "we don't have enough people in the seats." The board also approved $2,607,735.64 in manifests and discussed a $28,800 proposal to redesign the high school library, due back next month.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 1,057 words

Source: the School Board meeting of October 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

BOW — October 8, 2026 — The Bow School Board voted 5-0 Thursday to amend its agenda so it could take up an unusual governance matter, then voted to remove member Melanie Klunk from three committee assignments while it reviews complaints about her interactions with district employees and administrators.

Board members said in prepared remarks that they had sought advice from legal counsel before acting, and stressed the vote was a governance step, not a decision on formal censure. Klunk was removed from the Policy Committee, the Budget Committee, where she served as alternate, and the Bo Pops Committee. The board separately voted to appoint member Jenna to fill the Policy Committee seat while the review continues.

The same meeting included a lengthy debate over chronic shortages of athletic bus drivers after parent Ashley Fournier told the board the district still lacks a written transportation plan despite years of complaints. The board also approved $2,607,735.64 in manifests and vouchers and discussed a $28,800 proposal to redesign the Bow High School library, which will return to the agenda next month.

The Full Story

Fournier, speaking during public comment as a parent, taxpayer and educator, said she had called Superintendent Marcy Kelly, written to the entire board, the athletic director and the business administrator, and gathered signatures from other concerned parents before coming to the meeting. She said a district response had told her the district is "providing virtually no transportation for middle school athletics at this time," and argued driver recruitment alone is not a plan. She asked the board to direct administration to produce a written, long-term transportation plan with measurable goals, coverage data, a review of incentive and bonus transparency, and a timeline.

"This is not a sustainable model."

[00:05:39] — Ashley Fournier, public comment

Duane, who told the board he "technically oversees transportation" for the district, said Bow runs 22 buses on 12 routes, handles CRTC runs and two in-district special education shuttles, and that the shortage is a statewide and private-sector problem, not unique to Bow. He said drivers receive a $300 monthly attendance bonus for 10 months of the year and an end-of-year "safe driver" bonus tied to roughly 720 hours of driving, but that athletic trips get covered only when regular-route drivers are willing and available to take them.

"We have enough inventory to do what we want to do. We don't have enough people in the seats of the buses that we have available."

[00:45:35] — Duane, who oversees the district's transportation operations

Board members pressed Duane on whether Bow should seek a formal quote from contracted providers such as First Student or Student Transportation of America, which already runs Dunbarton's K-6 routes and shuttles to the Memorial School and high school. Duane said the district has looked at full contracting three times in his tenure and never found it made sense, in part because contracted drivers would leave district employment and because New Hampshire's bus roster rules prevent Bow's own drivers from also driving for a contractor. He also said New Hampshire has very few people authorized to administer commercial driving road tests, which has forced recent driver candidates to travel to Twin Mountain for an available test slot.

On finances, Director of Curriculum Owen told the board the district's "Great Escape" trip program has lost funding as federal title grants have declined. Business staff presented a handout on House Bill 1300, the statewide property tax cap measure headed to voters in November, estimating that if the bill had been in force last year, Bow would have needed roughly $1.2 million in additional cuts to its proposed budget to stay under the cap. A public information session on the bill is scheduled for October 19.

The board also heard a proposal for $28,800 in architectural and engineering fees to develop three concept designs for a renovated Bow High School library, an item that has appeared in budget discussions for roughly three years without funding. Business staff said the proposal will return to the board next month after members review how new fund-balance rules tied to HB 1300 could affect the project.

On the committee matter, board members said the concerns about Klunk had been discussed previously in a non-public session and involve multiple complaints from district employees and administrators. "It is precisely because this matter is very serious that we want to proceed carefully, thoughtfully, and appropriately," board members said in prepared remarks, adding that no timeline has been set for any further action.

Why It Matters

Parents say Bow's shortage of athletic bus drivers is forcing families to choose between a child missing practice or finding their own ride, with middle school teams currently getting almost no district transportation. The board asked the staffer who runs the bus fleet to compile hard numbers on which trips go uncovered so members can weigh contracting with an outside provider against the district's own 22-bus operation. Separately, the board's move to pull member Melanie Klunk from the Policy, Budget and Bo Pops committees leaves three seats unsettled while a conduct review proceeds, with no deadline yet set for deciding whether formal censure is warranted.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approve September 10 meeting minutes Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve manifest and vouchers for the period ending August 31, 2026, totaling $2,607,735.64 Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve overnight wrestling trip to Weymouth, Massachusetts, February 6-7 Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve funding for a previously ordered school bus purchase Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Adopt a batch of revised district policies (including DB, DBC, DBI, DBJ, DC, DD, DEA, DFA and others) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Amend meeting agenda to relabel the "Board Concerns" item Tally: For: 5, Against: 0, Abstain: 0, Total: 5

- Vote: Remove member Melanie Klunk from the Policy, Budget and Bo Pops committees pending review Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Appoint member Jenna to the Policy Committee Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Appoint an alternate to the Budget Committee Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve international school trip to Greece, April 19-28, 2028 Tally: Approved unanimously

• Action: BHS library design proposal ($28,800 for three architectural concepts) — Continued to November meeting pending fund balance discussion

Source

Town of Bow: School Board meeting, October 8, 2026