Monadnock School District Shares Gratitude for Voters’ Support of Elementary School Project

SWANZEY — Superintendent Lisa A. Witte and School Board Chair Scott Peters wish to express their gratitude to the district’s voters for their support of funding for the elementary school renovation and consolidation project, as well as the district’s operating budget for the coming year.

In March, district voters approved multiple warrant articles, including the operating budget and the proposed renovation and consolidation of the district’s elementary schools.

“The elementary school project will benefit generations of children to come, and we want to thank voters for their support of this critical infrastructure project,” School Board Chair Peters said. “An immense amount of work went into developing this project and securing funding from local and state sources, and the result will be significantly improved facilities that keep students safe, and support their learning in a modern environment.”

With voters’ approval secured, the district will conduct a bond issue enabling significant capital improvements for the district’s elementary schools:

• Additions and renovations at Emerson Elementary School, Gilsum STEAM Academy, Mount Caesar Elementary School, and Troy Elementary School.
• Closing of Cutler Elementary School, with the Cutler population moving to Mount Caesar. This places students from Richmond, Roxbury, and Swanzey in preschool to Grade 6 on one campus.

The consolidation/renovation project will bring the buildings into compliance with modern building codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act, update HVAC systems, add energy-efficient lighting, and update electrical and septic systems, as well as improve campus safety and security. Facility upgrades will improve physical education and fine arts spaces, and support modern classroom technologies to ensure equitable education across the district.

“I am proud of the work that went into fully identifying our facilities needs and want to thank our stakeholders for their support of this important project,” Superintendent Witte said. “Voters’ endorsement of — and investment in — this work will have a tangible positive impact on the quality of education we deliver to our youngest learners. I’m grateful for the support we’ve gotten to make this project possible.”

The forecasted cost for the project is $41.5 million, with the state Department of Education contributing $19.4 million in aid to offset that cost now that voters have approved the project. The bond will be issued once the state legislature appropriates the funding for the state’s contribution.

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