MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC) on Monday suspended their rules to accept a plan that would divide Henry Wilson Elementary School students after the school closes this summer.
The division will send 158 students to Beech Street Elementary and 160 students to McDonough Elementary temporarily as construction occurs over the next few years expected to house all of Beech Street and Wilson’s current students.
Manchester School District Assistant Superintendent of Operations Forrest Ransdell said that Spruce Street will be the dividing line, with students south of the street currently going to Wilson being shifted to Beech Street and students living on or north of the street heading to McDonough. No new bus routes are expected given that almost all current and incoming students of Beech Street and McDonough will still live within approximately a mile of their schools, although additional crossing guards are expected on Hanover Street.
Ransdell added that with the new students, the expected average class size at Beech Street will be 19.9 students and the average class size at McDonough will be 20.38 students. The district has a maximum class size of 20 students for elementary schools.
The news was met with satisfaction from the BOSC, but it was also met with confusion as to why the announcement was made in the meeting’s new business section rather than earlier in the meeting where it would have had additional materials for review.
Ransdell and Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Gillis indicated that there was no need to delay a decision any further and that expedited action would provide certainty and more time to plan for parents.
“The biggest reason to do it now is to do it well, because we don’t want to wait until the last minute,” said Ransdell.
Ward 5 BOSC Member Jason Bonilla said he prefers to see accompanying meeting materials ahead of time, but understood and accepted the administrators’ reasoning for their rapidity. He also noted that this was a good example of why there should continue to be two meetings per month, countering a suggestion from Ward 9 BOSC Member Robert Baines earlier in the meeting that the board should transition to just one meeting a month.
“Things come up fast,” said Bonilla.
At-Large BOSC Member Peter Argeropoulos had a similar response to Bonilla, noting that a comparable situation in Nashua had caused concern.
Ward 2 BOSC member Dr. Sean Parr expressed concerns that averages for class sizes were near the cap, Ward 4 BOSC member Leslie Want advised that there should be an informational night for families of current Wilson students to see their new schools, Ward 3 BOSC Member Karen Soule expressed confidence that the timing was appropriate given the series of recent community forums on the district’s facilities plan that the closure is part of, and Baines reiterated his confidence in Gillis and her team.
BOSC Vice Chair Jim O’Connell voiced concern over whether new staff would be added in situations where Wilson staff may not be able to be split evenly between the two schools and existing staff at Beech Street and McDonough would be expected to pick up the slack. He also requested an educational plan to go along with the facilities modifications, which Gillis said will be coming in the next few months. Gillis added that modular classrooms to be installed temporarily at both schools will be apportioned to both incoming and existing students at both of the schools.