Jay Doherty of Lavallee Brensinger explains the ConVal construction proposal. (Photo by David Allen, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)
The ConVal School Board is considering a $44 million construction project for the high school. It will vote on the next step in the project on Election Day.
The proposal would include adding to seating the school theater and updating the Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities for ConVal High School. Other aspects of the plan include creating natural light within the school, updating security at entry points and enhancing student-centered spaces.
“We feel pretty confident about the numbers,” said Jay Doherty of Lavallee Brensinger Architects, the Manchester-based firm tasked with presenting the plans to the board.
The project costs as presented totaled $44.14 million, $33.49 million of which are targeted for the CTE and upgrades to a number of internal aspects of the building. The ConVal Building Committee projected that 56% of this amount would be paid for locally with the balance coming from the state. Goals for work in addition to the CTE were listed as “HS Project” included “secure building entry, more natural light, student-centered spaces, better connections, level changes,” as stated in the presentation.
Another element of the proposal was renovating the Lucy Hurlin Theater, known as the auditorium, at a cost of $10.65 million. The Building Committee projects that 100% of this would be borne locally.
Of the total proposal of $44.14 million, it was stated that 67% of that figure would fall to local taxpayers.
“What compromises have been made in terms of addressing this affordability?” asked committee member Jim Kingston from Temple.
“The original numbers were higher,” said Board Chair Richard Dunning.
“There would be a twenty-year bond for the full amount of the $44 million, then the state would reimburse us for its share,” said Dublin committee member Alan Edelkind.
“Why isn’t the high school and CTE figure broken down?” asked Kingston regarding a lack of specificity regarding the figures offered.
Doherty said that certain areas slated for work are integral to the building, making it hard to separate certain costs within the site.
“It’s difficult,” Doherty said. “For instance, you’ve got corridors that go everywhere. To do just the CTE part and not the high school, it doesn’t work.”
Doherty could not be reached Wednesday regarding any delineation of the figures.
“The CTE and the high school are one area,” said Alan Edelkind on a phone call Wednesday. “They are intermingled.”
In an email Wednesday, Edelkind stated that “The CTE cost alone would be approx.$19.6 mil. reimbursement from the state for CTE (approx.75%) = $14.7 mil (approx). District cost after state reimbursement = $29.4mil.”
The state funding process is structured such that next year, the ConVal and Milford school districts are scheduled for eligibility for state funding for CTE work, said Dunning at Tuesday’s meeting.
Dunning echoed the reimbursement percentage on a phone call Wednesday. “Milford and ConVal are in the queue for the state funding, but you have to see what happens,” he said.
Jeffry Beard, an administrator with the state Department of Education state on Wednesday that “The only information I can share regarding this at this time is that funding for CTE renovations is part of the New Hampshire budget process. The Department’s role is to make recommendations regarding CTE center renovations, and we have worked closely with district and CTE leaders for ConVal in order to develop such recommendations.”
“It’s already an astronomical set of figures,” said Kingston. “Will they hold?”
The School Board will vote on November 5th on sharing the concepts and figures presented Tuesday with the community.
“A majority vote would decide on the board moving forward with our information,” said Interim Superintendent Ann Forest
At the Nov. 5 meeting, a majority ‘yes’ vote from the board would let the architects proceed with their work fine-tuning the figures. “The architect will probably do the follow-up presentation to the community,” Dunning said Wednesday.
A community forum with a video prepared by Lavalee Brensinger is scheduled for Nov. 20 in the Hurlin Theater at the high school.
“We just want to move the information forward to the community,” said Edelkind regarding steps to be taken in November.
“There are a lot of details that I don’t have,” said Kingston. “I wish I had better answers.
The presentation included a projection of the school’s enrollment falling from over 700 currently to 550 in a matter of years.
The current auditorium seats 204. The $10.65 million renovation would give it a capacity of 350.
“I think it’s going to be a tough sell,” said Board member Dan Harper of Hancock.
“With declining enrollment, why does the school need a bigger auditorium?” said Pam Kingston of Temple after the meeting.
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