Cutler is the oldest school in the district, originally constructed in 1857. There was a fire in the 1920’s that consumed much of it, and the rebuild is the oldest portion of the school that we use today. Currently all 3rd thru 6th grade students from Swanzey and Roxbury attend Cutler, and 89% of the students from Richmond. Cutler has the longest backlog of projects that require significant investment, but some of the challenges are considered ‘unsolvable’ because of property boundary lines.
The proposed solution for Cutler is to expand the Mt. Caesar campus to include all grades Pre-K thru 6th grade, and then put Cutler school up for sale or development. To read more about the proposed design, see the Mt. Caesar School Page
Key Problems at Cutler School:
- The current main entrance is somewhat remote from the parking and is not entirely secure. There is an office next to the entry vestibule but no physical barriers preventing access throughout the school once a person is let in
- The property boundaries are close to the building making vehicle access difficult. Any expansion is prohibited by the lack of space around the building
- The exits do not meet current code. Improving the means of egress is difficult due to the arrangement of the building
- Not all rooms are handicap accessible. There is a stair lift on the main stairwell, but this does not serve all areas of the building
- There are two portable classrooms that remain. These are now the last two in the district
- The building layout is inefficient. The library and instructional areas are in the basement which has poor environmental quality
- The mechanical and electrical systems need a lot of upgrades
- Other deficiencies include worn finishes, needed roof repairs and windows that need replacing
To see the full list of backlogged Cutler projects, click HERE