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June
11, 2007
Public comment sought for Bartlett
renovation plans |
By
STEPHEN BEALE
Union Leader
Correspondent
GOFFSTOWN -
The Goffstown School District is planning $735,000 in renovations to the Bartlett Elementary School and is seeking input from parents, the public, and community groups that use the facility before moving forward.
The renovations will be largely funded through two $300,000 deposits into a special fund, with the most recent investment approved by voters several months ago. The remaining $135,000 is expected to come from school impact fees developers have to pay when building residential communities, according to the school district office.
Several years ago, the local school board ordered a study of all district facilities. Bartlett was the one that stood out as needing renovations the soonest, according to Ray Labore, the business administrator for the district.
The oldest part of the building dates back to the 1920s, while the rest was built in 1963. Since then, the facility has largely remained unchanged, Labore said.
Early renovation plans envision a lengthening of the front driveway, allowing more school buses can pull in so a long line does not form on Mast Road. One of the exterior walls of a large storage closet will be knocked down and pushed out, making space for the new administrative offices while the old offices will become a station for nurses and a workroom for teachers.
The building also needs updates to its mechanical, electrical, and other systems, Labore said. Now that computers are used in classrooms, he said electrical outlets especially need to be modified to handle the new technological demand.
The first phase of the renovations is slated for the school year that will begin in the fall of 2008. But most of the work will actually take place during the summer when students aren’t there. “The premise right now is to be as non-impacting as possible,” Labore said.
Labore said the school board wants the opinion of residents before it finalizes the renovation plans. He said members hope to reach out to the many community organizations that use Barlett, such as the Parks and Recreation Department and the Boy and Girl Scouts.
But no one showed up to a community forum last Tuesday to get the word out about the changes to the school. Labore attributed the zero turnout to bad timing. Also scheduled that night were the Republican presidential debate at St. Anselm College and an academic awards dinner at Goffstown High School.
Still, the school board is eyeing future opportunities to get the public more engaged. “The school board is very conscious of the fact that they want community feedback and involvement in the whole thing,” Labore said. “They want the support.”
Reproduced by the Goffstown
Residents Association.
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