Alton Central School - Public Hearing - We Need Your Input!

Argie's Wife · 09-15-2007, 01:22 PM

WHAT: Public Forum on Facility Options for Grades Pre-K through 8

WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 7:00 PM

WHERE: Alton Central School (ACS)

WHY: To explore the options that the ACS Buildings & Grounds Committee is considering for resolving the instructional, space and safety needs of students.

History: In 2006, the ACS Board charged the Long Range Facility Planning with the task of addressing the instructional, space and safety needs of students in Pre-K through 8 grades. There was a facility site study conducted by the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), public forums, a survey and a final report to the Alton School Board.

The Alton School Board placed on the 2007 Warrant, two articles - one proposing the purchase of three properties near the present ACS so that the school could be expanded; a second article proposed the establishment of a Capital Reserve Fund that would be used for the construction of a new school building including for the acquisition of a site. Both were defeated in the March, 2007 vote.

On a final note...

I've check with our moderator to make sure this was okay to post. I want to be clear that this is an announcement - not an advertisement, k? It's certainly open for discussion here on this thread...

Thank you!

Ropetow · 09-15-2007, 10:00 PM

This is a major dilemma for the citizens of Alton and I urge all citizens to attend. As a School Board member in Rochester, I understand the severity of the matter, as we, too, have a problem with over-crowding at the elementary level and are faced with the prospect of building a new school and balancing the needs of quality education with a concern for the property tax rate. I wish you the best in this pursuit.

Argie's Wife · 09-16-2007, 07:59 PM

Thanks for the note!

This is a major dilemma for Alton and there's no quick or easy answer. The town has seen a major change in demographics over the past few years and there is more growth than what was projected for Alton. The school is very outdated - from the heating systems, to the wiring in the classrooms, to - you name it. It's not as handicapped accessible as it should be - all this is information available via the NESDEC study that was done last fall.

The school wasn't built with the needs of today (computers in all the classrooms, etc.) in mind. There needs to be a new school or a major overhaul but I can't see us waiting and waiting more for this - the longer we wait the more outdated the school will become and the more expensive it will be to repair or replace...

I'd be interested in people coming from other communities to advise on HOW they decided on a new school or renovations to a school - and how they got their community to vote it in...

Just my $0.02.

B&D · 09-27-2007, 02:33 PM

Every town in NH seems to think they need a new school. Good for the construction types, school admin types, teachers, etc. But it really sucks for the tax payers. How about the various folks that feel a need to send little Susie to the MIT of grammar schools, move to an area that supports your philosophy and not rebuild the entire State at other's expense.

Ropetow · 09-28-2007, 04:09 PM

The issue of new schools is a difficult one, at best. As a School Board Member (not in Alton) I am charged with providing the best education possible for a child while living within our financial means. As a fiscal conservative I am hesitant to waste any money. And I view taxpayer money as my own...since it is! That being said, education has changed dramatically over the past 25 years in ways too numerous to mention here. And the needs in school buildings have also changed. Often, rebuilding or expanding costs more in the long-run than does building a new facility. As population in many NH towns increases, and programs for children increase (often Special Education programs and services) many schools face a serious space crunch. In my hometown we have elementary schools that are literally bursting at the seams, and this includes the use of a half-dozen or so modular classrooms. We will have to construct a new facility, carefully balancing fiscal realities with student needs. Not an easy task.

Argie's Wife · 09-28-2007, 10:24 PM

B&D - like I said at the beginning of the thread, the purpose of the public forum is to discuss options - no one's proposing only a new school or only renovations.

Public opinion in Alton, in the past, is that people wanted the school to stay in the same location. The school is a Pre-K through 8 grade school and has over 600 students attending now. The pre-K is for two years (three & four year olds). This means there's ten grades in this school now.

Given that the core of the school was built in the 1950's and then many additions were put on it, with the largest addition being in the 1980's, it's hardly up to today's standards. Most of the windows are single pane windows - which cause a lot of heat loss in the winter. The bathrooms have the same fixtures they were built with back in 1950-something - and certainly not handicapped accessible. I could give other examples, but I'm sure you get the picture. It's a tired and cramped facility.

Personally, I'm for either renovations/expansion OR a new school. Both are attractive options considering the current conditions. The one thing that remains true is that waiting will not make the changes less expensive. The longer we wait, the more expensive this will be.

But a point, if I may, about your comment about building a new school - Interesting that Alton built a new high school about 4 years ago and our property taxes went down... considering the new condos, new housing, and developments coming in, Alton's tax base is only increasing. In my opinion, paying a percent or two more in my property tax on education and providing that education in a more efficient facility is money well spent. Not only will it benefit the students, but also the teachers and staff who work there and also contribute to our community.

09-15-2007, 01:22 PM	#1
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	Alton Central School - Public Forum - We Need Your Input! WHAT: Public Forum on Facility Options for Grades Pre-K through 8 WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 7:00 PM WHERE: Alton Central School (ACS) WHY: To explore the options that the ACS Buildings & Grounds Committee is considering for resolving the instructional, space and safety needs of students. History: In 2006, the ACS Board charged the Long Range Facility Planning with the task of addressing the instructional, space and safety needs of students in Pre-K through 8 grades. There was a facility site study conducted by the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), public forums, a survey and a final report to the Alton School Board. The Alton School Board placed on the 2007 Warrant, two articles - one proposing the purchase of three properties near the present ACS so that the school could be expanded; a second article proposed the establishment of a Capital Reserve Fund that would be used for the construction of a new school building including for the acquisition of a site. Both were defeated in the March, 2007 vote. On a final note... I've check with our moderator to make sure this was okay to post. I want to be clear that this is an announcement - not an advertisement, k? It's certainly open for discussion here on this thread... Thank you! Last edited by Argie's Wife; 09-20-2007 at 08:29 PM. Reason: correction of a word

09-27-2007, 02:33 PM	#4
B&D Junior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	new schools everywhere Every town in NH seems to think they need a new school. Good for the construction types, school admin types, teachers, etc. But it really sucks for the tax payers. How about the various folks that feel a need to send little Susie to the MIT of grammar schools, move to an area that supports your philosophy and not rebuild the entire State at other's expense.

09-15-2007, 10:00 PM	#2
Ropetow Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Rochester, NH / Bartlett, NH Posts: 322 Thanks: 228 Thanked 33 Times in 13 Posts	This is a major dilemma for the citizens of Alton and I urge all citizens to attend. As a School Board member in Rochester, I understand the severity of the matter, as we, too, have a problem with over-crowding at the elementary level and are faced with the prospect of building a new school and balancing the needs of quality education with a concern for the property tax rate. I wish you the best in this pursuit.

09-16-2007, 07:59 PM	#3
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	Thanks for the note! This is a major dilemma for Alton and there's no quick or easy answer. The town has seen a major change in demographics over the past few years and there is more growth than what was projected for Alton. The school is very outdated - from the heating systems, to the wiring in the classrooms, to - you name it. It's not as handicapped accessible as it should be - all this is information available via the NESDEC study that was done last fall. The school wasn't built with the needs of today (computers in all the classrooms, etc.) in mind. There needs to be a new school or a major overhaul but I can't see us waiting and waiting more for this - the longer we wait the more outdated the school will become and the more expensive it will be to repair or replace... I'd be interested in people coming from other communities to advise on HOW they decided on a new school or renovations to a school - and how they got their community to vote it in... Just my $0.02.

09-28-2007, 04:09 PM	#5
Ropetow Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Rochester, NH / Bartlett, NH Posts: 322 Thanks: 228 Thanked 33 Times in 13 Posts	The issue of new schools is a difficult one, at best. As a School Board Member (not in Alton) I am charged with providing the best education possible for a child while living within our financial means. As a fiscal conservative I am hesitant to waste any money. And I view taxpayer money as my own...since it is! That being said, education has changed dramatically over the past 25 years in ways too numerous to mention here. And the needs in school buildings have also changed. Often, rebuilding or expanding costs more in the long-run than does building a new facility. As population in many NH towns increases, and programs for children increase (often Special Education programs and services) many schools face a serious space crunch. In my hometown we have elementary schools that are literally bursting at the seams, and this includes the use of a half-dozen or so modular classrooms. We will have to construct a new facility, carefully balancing fiscal realities with student needs. Not an easy task.

09-28-2007, 10:24 PM	#6
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	B&D - like I said at the beginning of the thread, the purpose of the public forum is to discuss options - no one's proposing only a new school or *only* renovations. Public opinion in Alton, in the past, is that people wanted the school to stay in the same location. The school is a Pre-K through 8 grade school and has over 600 students attending now. The pre-K is for two years (three & four year olds). This means there's ten grades in this school now. Given that the core of the school was built in the 1950's and then many additions were put on it, with the largest addition being in the 1980's, it's hardly up to today's standards. Most of the windows are single pane windows - which cause a lot of heat loss in the winter. The bathrooms have the same fixtures they were built with back in 1950-something - and certainly not handicapped accessible. I could give other examples, but I'm sure you get the picture. It's a tired and cramped facility. Personally, I'm for either renovations/expansion OR a new school. Both are attractive options considering the current conditions. The one thing that remains true is that waiting will not make the changes less expensive. The longer we wait, the more expensive this will be. But a point, if I may, about your comment about building a new school - Interesting that Alton built a new high school about 4 years ago and our property taxes went down... considering the new condos, new housing, and developments coming in, Alton's tax base is only increasing. In my opinion, paying a percent or two more in my property tax on education and providing that education in a more efficient facility is money well spent. Not only will it benefit the students, but also the teachers and staff who work there and also contribute to our community.