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Local study committee proposes grade consolidation as ConVal departure talks continue
Summary
A Temple study committee proposed moving grades 7–8 into the high school and consolidating other grades to cut costs, while a Select Board member warned that if two towns leave the ConVal district Peterborough taxes could rise roughly 8%.
The Select Board received an update Oct. 1 on potential changes involving the ConVal School District and heard a presentation from Gail Cromwell of the Temple School Study Committee proposing grade reorganizations to reduce operating costs.
Bill Kennedy, a Select Board member, told the meeting that some towns are preparing motions to petition the New Hampshire Department of Education for permission to withdraw from the ConVal district. Kennedy said that if two towns withdraw as contemplated, Peterborough’s taxes could increase by about 8 percent; committees will pursue formal motions that would then be considered by each town’s Select Board and by town meetings.
Gail Cromwell of the Temple School Study Committee presented floor plans and a proposal that would move grades 7 and 8 into the high school, place grades 5 and 6 into the South Meadow building, and relocate some elementary-grade students into other existing buildings. Cromwell said Prismatic’s earlier recommendation was to close four small schools, but the committee’s plan focuses on shifting grade configurations to reduce costs and better use existing buildings. Cromwell cited district-wide enrollment at roughly 63 percent of ConVal’s 1,200-student capacity and presented figures she said would save about $717,000 annually by reducing upkeep and utility costs at underused buildings ($436,000 at PES and $281,000 at Antrim Elementary).
Kennedy raised educator concerns about moving younger adolescents into an environment with 9th–12th graders and asked the committee to consider developmental impacts. The board thanked the presenter and did not take formal action on the proposal at the Oct. 1 meeting.
What happens next: Committees pursuing withdrawal will submit motions to the Department of Education; any change would require review by town Select Boards and approval at town meetings. The Select Board did not adopt the Temple committee’s plan and noted further consideration and stakeholder engagement would be needed.
