By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

Allenstown school officials told voters at a Jan. 15 bond hearing that the proposed addition to Allenstown Elementary School will meet minimum standards for the size of classrooms and alleviate crowding in both schools.

The proposed $3,483,730 bond would pay for an addition to bring three fifth-grade classes from the Armand R. Dupont School into the elementary school. The addition at the elementary school would also include more classroom space, more room for faculty preparation and 22 additional parking spaces.

The bond would also cover renovations to the security systems and kitchens at both schools.

During the public hearing, Selectman Sandra McKenney asked the school board for a 10-year history of enrollment in the school district, as well as the size of each class per grade level during a three-year span. She also asked for the total number of teachers and aides. The school board didn’t have that information available at the hearing and is researching it.

Thomas Irzyk, vice chairman of the school board, said the project is more about meeting state standards for classroom sizes than enrollment.

The minimum standard for classroom size is 900 square feet; some classrooms in the elementary school are 650 square feet.

There are currently 275 students at the elementary school and by moving the fifth-graders over, the there would be more than 300 students in the school, but it would be able to accommodate 400 students.

Enrollment is actually down, but there are a number of development projects going up in Allenstown, Irzyk said.

“These projects were never about increasing enrollment as much as overcrowding,” said School Board Chairman Louis Conley.

There isn’t enough room to have four grade levels at the Armand R. Dupont School, said Irzyk. The school currently houses grades five to eight.

National research has shown that fifth-graders actually do better in elementary schvools, said Dupont School Principal Betsey Cox Stebbins.

“A lot of consideration was given to the size of the schools,” Conley said. “We have some seriously inadequate schools for the services we are providing.”

For example, students at the elementary school who need special tutoring in reading have to be instructed in the hallway because there are no other classrooms available. The school’s speech therapist doesn’t have a desk in the tiny classroom where students receive speech therapy and supplies are stored in another area. Students received physical and occupational therapy in the elementary school’s locker room. The DARE officer, Sgt. Greg Huard, doesn’t have a classroom to use for his class.

Irzyk also said the school district is saving $500,000 by waiting to do this project.

Two years ago, when the school board proposed an addition the elementary school, the board proposed a $2,750,000 bond at 4.33 interest, with a $1.27 maximum tax rate increase.

However, two years ago, the town would have received 30 percent state aid, which would have been approximately $800,000, said Irzyk.

This year, the school district is expecting to get 60 percent in state aid, totaling a little over $2 million.

The proposed 10-year bond has a 4.5 percent interest rate with the highest tax rate increase of $1.11 and the lowest being $0.34 in the first year.

This year’s proposed project covers basically the same proposed renovations as two years ago, but adds a security system and kitchen upgrades, Irzyk said.