Lebanon
That’s particularly true at the Hanover Street School, where educators and students contend daily with cramped space that’s often inconveniently shared with Lebanon High School, they said.
“Every available space, including staff space, has been filled for this growing population of students,” said Susan Desrosiers, a third-grade teacher at the school. “In 53 years, the only major improvement at Hanover Street School was the gym. That’s it.”
The School Board is considering whether to go ahead with $28.6 million in projects that would provide schools with safer front entrances, multipurpose spaces and additional classrooms.
The renovation proposals were presented last month by Mariance Architects, a New Hampton, N.H.-based firm hired over the summer to examine problems with the city’s aging school buildings.
The board has allocated $50,000 to the firm, which designed the recent expansion project at Mascoma Valley Regional High School. Of that, they’ve spent about $26,000, according to Tim Ball, the district’s business administrator.
Architects have recommended roughly $9.1 million in spending at Hanover Street School.
That money would be used to build additional classrooms and convert existing space into a new 3,200-square-foot cafeteria capable of serving about 60 students at a time.
Plans also call for an addition on the side of the building that would offer students a more secure entryway and “welcoming lobby.” An office suite and expanded library room would be part of that construction.
The thought of a cafeteria solely for the elementary school was good news to Katie Scanlon, president of the Hanover Street School PTO. Currently, one cafeteria is shared between the young students and high-schoolers.
“My son is a third-grader. He eats at one o’clock,” she told the board, adding the changes are of “the utmost importance.”
“To foster this environment of creative learning and in a cohesive unit, we really need to see a lot of these renovations go forward,” she said.
Principal Ken Rosser pointed out plans call for much needed meeting space, which can be difficult to find among teachers and administrators.
The current offices also are inadequate, he said, adding he’ll sometimes make sensitive calls to parents from his car because the walls are too thin.
School officials also highlighted the importance of a proposed $12 million addition to the north side of Lebanon High School, which would include a new 650-seat auditorium, band room and space to build theater sets.
The addition also would include a safer entryway and student center.
“I think it’s reasonable to say that the front entrance needs an upgrade,” Principal Ian Smith said.
Since the school is roughly 60 years old, there’s few things “bright and modern” like the auditorium could be, he said.
Lauren Haley, the school’s director of bands, argued the auditorium could save the district money by eliminating the cost to bus students and equipment to the Lebanon Opera House.
The opera house can be difficult to book, she said, adding there’s also potential to rent out the auditorium to groups facing the same difficulties.
“As a school, we could also gather in a more formal way,” Haley said.
Renovations at the Mount Lebanon School and Lebanon Middle School also are recommended under the architects’ proposal, although there was little discussion about those schools on Wednesday.
Architects call for a $3.7 million addition to the south end of the Mount Lebanon School, creating a new lobby and office suite.
They also proposed expanding the school gym into a 4,200-square-foot multipurpose room that also could serve as a cafeteria.
Less work is proposed at Lebanon Middle School, the district’s newest building.
Traffic-related proposals would spend about $500,000 to add sidewalks and 22 new parking spaces.
The School Board will decide whether it wants to make cuts to the renovation plan during its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Lebanon Middle School.
A warrant article to bond the project then would be included on the March ballot and likely would require 60 percent approval to pass.
“It’s going to take all of us explaining the necessity of these,” School Board Chairman Jeff Peavey said. “It’s not always about the tax dollar, it’s about our students’ experience and our students’ education going forward.”
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.