July 31, 2008
Eagle Tribune
WINDHAM — Construction of a larger elementary school is being considered to provide space for the district’s first kindergarten program and growing student enrollment.
Superintendent Frank Bass presented a scenario to the School Board last night as one of several options — including renovations, additions and new school buildings — that will be examined by architect Kyle Barker over the next several months.
The board voted to hire Barker to conduct a $27,200 study of the school district’s facilities and ways to provide additional space. His study will also look at air quality and energy efficiency in the current buildings.
Along with space to start a kindergarten program, required by fall 2009, the district’s enrollment is expanding and more space will be needed to accommodate that growth, Bass said.
Projected enrollment figures presented last night show the number of students in third through fifth grades increasing by 183 children over the next five years — from 610 this year to 793 in 2013.
The scenario presented by Bass calls for constructing an elementary school, instead of a middle school, on land where the new high school is being built off Route 111. The new elementary school would house the district’s preschool program, kindergarten classes, grades one through four, and the superintendent’s office, he said.
Golden Brook Elementary School, which accommodates first and second grades, would close, Bass said.
Under this proposal, the superintendent’s office and preschool building on Route 111 would be sold for about $1 million, Bass said.
This would also address space issues at both Windham Center and Windham Middle schools by shifting grades. Windham Center School would be for fifth- and sixth-graders while the middle school would only house the seventh and eighth grades, Bass said.
The middle school now serves sixth- through eighth-graders and Windham Center School houses grades three through five. Under this plan, a new middle school building, at a cost of $35 million to $40 million, would not have to be built, Bass said.
“These are all hypotheticals,” Bass said. “But they work educationally and financially for the school district.”
School Board members did not comment on the plan last night. They are waiting for Barker to conduct his study, which would provide additional details for this option and others, along with cost estimates.
Board members decided not to put the study out to bid so it could start right away and give them time to consider placing one or more articles for school space on the next district warrant, which would be voted on in March.
Bass said it might not make financial sense to renovate Golden Brook School because of its age. Barker said there are a variety of problems with the building, including old windows that would cost $750,000 to replace and an inadequate ventilation system that would cost about $1 million to replace.
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Please see Population Up, School Enrollment Down in NH – Seacoast Online