Facility Committee Report for New Hampshire School District Urges Upgrades

By Elizabeth Martin, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Oct. 22–CLAREMONT — When John Yazinski, a judge and schools facility committee member, toured Stevens High School he said he was reminded of prison in Fidel Castro’s Cuba.

“There are areas that are being utilized to educate our children in Stevens that I would be hesitant to recommend to store outdoor gear or athletic equipment,” Yazinski said.

The facility committee was formed to evaluate the school district’s buildings and make recommendations to the school board. Members toured the three elementary schools, middle school, high school, the Sugar River Valley Technology Center and the superintendent’s office in the Dow building.

Based on the evaluations, the school board agreed Wednesday to establish a school investment committee.

By voting to act instead of taking time to review the facility committees findings, shows the board is confident in the report, said David Putnam, school board chairman.

The board’s next step is to form the school investment committee, which will take approximately four to six weeks, assistant superintendent Allen Damren said. The new committee will address problems that have been raised and judge the feasibility for a new high school. A timeline of the planned implementation and costs will also be shaped, he said.

“We will certainly want to be working hand-and-glove with the city,” Damren said.

After the committee is formed, Putnam will suggest that members receive training. No one on the school board has conducted an investment committee before, he said. Training will give guidance for the proper way to proceed, Putnam said.

The facilities committee took guidance from the Claremont school district’s mission for their starting point, Yazinski said. The mission states, in part, to educate in an atmosphere promoting growth.

The committee looked at safety issues, environmental issues, traffic issues, access and parking problems. Districtwide security systems, electrical support and technological updates need to take place, said Yazinski, who presented on behalf of the committee.

Stevens High School is in the worst condition, the committee found. The front of the building was constructed in 1868. Claremont Middle School, in the committee’s findings, has the least problems with the easiest fixes.

“Some of our buildings are so old they simply cannot support the kind of technology that we expect is going to be delivered in an educational system in 2006,” Yazinski said.

Yazinski also recommended that Claremont residents follow through with the mission statement and bring the city up to current code, while planning for the future. He wants community members who aren’t familiar with Stevens to tour it.

“No explanation of what I could give, or anyone from the facility committee could give, as to what we saw at Stevens is adequate,” he said. “You need to see it for yourself.”

Damren wasn’t shocked by the committee’s findings, because he knows the status of the buildings. The experience of touring the buildings was eye-opening for the committee, he said.

“I think they’re fully justified (in the recommendation),” Damren said.

All the buildings need help, said facility committee member Lisa Gosselin at the school board meeting.

“It all starts with education,” said Gosselin. “It all starts with education and we’ve got to do better for our kids. Our kids are not second class in Claremont, they’re first class and we’ve got to treat them that way.”

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Copyright (c) 2006, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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