The Portsmouth school facilities committee unanimously voted tonight to recommend a phased approach toward building a new school to eventually serve the community's elementary students. With modifications, the committee agreed on the second of four options provided by consulting firm Robinson Green Beretta (RGB) in their facilities report delivered to the school committee in January.

The original RGB "Option #2" approach specifies returning fifth grade to the middle school, closing the Elmhurst and Hathaway schools, performing renovations at Melville to convert it to pre-K through first grade, and building a new grade 2-4 elementary school.

Among the recommended modifications to "Option #2" were further analysis of fit with district pedagogical approach and coherence with the results of the Future Search and strategic plan, a "status quo" startup phase, possibly of several years, where existing facilities are maintained (in recognition of current economic conditions), and consideration of a modular facility that could start smaller and be expanded.

The committee discussed the importance of a phased approach to any construction to minimize dislocation of students, and pending further analysis, leaned toward migrating the population in stages.

Further refinement of the proposal — including specifying the stages, which students would move when, and a breakout of cost by phase — is work still to be done, assuming the approach meets with approval from the full school committee at a future meeting. And, of course, any capital expenditure requiring a bond would need to go to the Town Council and the voters.

See previous coverage of facilities issues.

Full disclosure: I am an appointed member of the facilities committee, but this does not constitute an official report of the actions of the committee. Such report and the official wording of the recommendation would necessarily come from the chair. I'm reporting from my own notes taken at a public meeting.