SWANZEY — Superintendent Lisa Witte, School Board Chair Scott Peters and the Monadnock Regional School District invite members of the communities served by the district to upcoming listening sessions on the proposed building projects that would rebuild or rehabilitate multiple elementary schools.
Listening sessions are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- Feb. 8 from 5-7 p.m. at Emerson Elementary School
- Feb. 9 from 5-7 p.m. at Troy Elementary School
- Feb. 15 from 5-7 p.m. at Mount Caesar Elementary School
- Feb. 16 from 5-7 p.m. at Gilsum STEAM Academy
At the listening sessions, members of the community will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposals for significant updates and modernization of the facilities, which are being proposed simultaneously to expedite the improvements and keep costs down.
Community members will have an opportunity to ask questions about the project and learn more about the history of the project and where it stands today, including the work the Board has done to maintain community schools while re-developing existing facilities into modern, safe learning spaces.
To provide important context about the proposed work ahead of the listening sessions, the district has developed videos that provide a deeper look at the needs and proposed improvements at Gilsum, Emerson, Mount Caesar and Troy.
Voters should also explore the dedicated project website.
The proposed project calls for:
- Additions and renovations at Emerson Elementary School, Gilsum STEAM Academy, Mount Caesar Elementary School, and Troy Elementary School.
- Closing of Cutler Elementary School, with the Cutler population moving to Mount Caesar. This places students from Richmond, Roxbury, and Swanzey in preschool to Grade 6 on one campus.
The consolidation/renovation project will bring the buildings into compliance with modern building codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act, update HVAC systems, add energy-efficient lighting, and update electrical and septic systems, as well as improve campus safety and security. Facility upgrades will improve physical education and fine arts spaces, and support modern classroom technologies to ensure equitable education across the district.
To complete the project, the district will seek to issue a bond. Doing so requires a combined three-fifths approval by voters in the sending communities of Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Richmond, Roxbury, Swanzey, and Troy. The bonding article will appear on the Annual District Meeting warrant. The article will ultimately be voted on during the March 17 election.
Both Troy and Cutler date to the turn of the 20th century. Emerson opened in 1925, and Gilsum opened in 1956. The District engaged in a facilities study in 2017, followed by a feasibility study. The district has projected more than $33 million in basic repairs are needed.
New Hampshire Department of Education has approved its consolidation/renovation plan, marking a significant milestone in the effort to modernize the district’s educational facilities.
The New Hampshire Department of Education voted in November to approve the proposed modernization and consolidation of MRSD’s elementary schools, making the concurrent projects eligible for almost $19.4 million in state aid, accounting for just under half of the $41.5 million estimated project cost.
The Board of Education listed the Monadnock project as the third most-needed school construction project in the state.