By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

Allenstown voters will discuss a proposed addition to their elementary school, an operating budget and a three-year paraprofessional contract at the deliberative session of the School District Meeting.

The meeting is set for Thursday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., at Allenstown Elementary School.

Fixing the schools
Voters will be asked to approve spending $3,535,985 for an addition to Allenstown Elementary School and renovations to both the town’s schools.

While the project is estimated to cost $3.5 million, taxpayers would only be asked to pay for a 10-year bond for $3.4 million with an interest rate of 4.5 percent.

The $3.5 million cost estimate includes 22 new parking spaces at the elementary school, more classroom and instructional space at both schools, more room for faculty preparation at the elementary schools, as well as kitchen and security upgrades for both schools.

By building a 16,922-square-foot addition to the elementary school, the fifth grade would be moved out of the overcrowded Dupont School and into the elementary school.

“I think the fifth-graders definitely belong in an elementary setting,” said Terri Kenney, principal of Allenstown Elementary School, who taught fifth grade for nine years.

The fifth grade was included in the elementary school many years ago, she said. “I think the parents I’ve spoke to are in favor it,” she said.

Currently there are two fifth-grade classes in modular classrooms and a third fifth-grade class in the Dupont School. All three fifth-grade classes would move to the elementary school. The Dupont School would then be able to use that former fifth-grade classroom for other purposes.

“I think we need to get rid of the modulars,” Kenney said.

The modulars are like band-aids; while they house students, they cost taxpayers money that could be going toward an addition, said Kenney. Building an addition would be money well spent.

“Now is the time to do it with the state paying for 60 percent,” she said.

School board members also say the addition will help bring the elementary school up to minimum standards. The minimum standard for classroom size is 900 square feet. Some classrooms in the elementary school are 650 square feet.

The school district is also aware of the many family-sized houses being constructed in Allenstown, which will result in more students, said Kenney.

As part of the warrant article pertaining to the bond, voters would be asked to approve raising $88,835 from taxpayers for the first bond payment. Each taxpayer would pay 34 cents per $1,000 of property value. Next year would be the highest year in bond payments and taxpayers would pay $1.11 extra on the tax rate. After that year, the tax rate would decrease and taxpayers would pay 56 cents in the 10th year.

Two years ago, an addition to the elementary school was on the warrant and failed. At that time, the proposed bond was $2,750,000 at 4.33 interest, with a $1.27 maximum tax rate increase.

Two years ago, the town would have received only 30 percent state aid; now the school district is expecting to get 60 percent. Athree-fifths majority vote is required to approve the bond. If the project is approved, construction would start in July.

Operating budget
This year’s proposed operating budget is $8,138,708, which is 5.6 percent more than last year’s budget of $7,701,903.

If the budget fails, the default budget would be $8,028,507. The operating budget does not include the proposed $3.5 million construction estimates or the proposed paraprofessional contract.

Contracts
A collective bargaining agreement was recently reached between the school board and the Allenstown Paraprofessional Association for the next three fiscal years. The current agreement will run out at the end of this year. In that bargaining agreement, the paraprofessionals’ salaries and benefits will increase by $41,139 in the 2005-06 fiscal year, $24,055 in the 2006-07 fiscal year, and $23,988 in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

There are approximately 46 paraprofessionals working in the Allenstown School District.

“Negotiations were very amicable,” said Thomas Haley, Superintendent of Schools.

The association came prepared with a list of requests, Haley said.

“We were able to talk fairly candidly and reach an agreement fairly quickly,” he said.

Greta Gendron, the chairman of the Allenstown Paraprofessional Association, agreed.

“I felt it went well, extremely well,” she said. “Pretty much everything we discussed was made on the agreement.”

This March, voters will be asked to approve the increase of $41,139 for the 2005-06 fiscal year.