FAQs on proposed Elmhurst closing

By John McDaid | Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Portsmouth Supt. Susan Lusi distributed an FAQ on the proposed closing of the Elmhurst Elementary school to the district listserv last night in anticipation of this evening's 7pm school committee meeting at the Portsmouth Middle School.

Dear Members of the Portsmouth Community,

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet is attached regarding the potential closing of Elmhurst School. This FAQ sheet is intended to supplement (as opposed to repeat) the information presented to the Portsmouth School Committee’s Finance Subcommittee on April 7, 2010. The materials presented that evening are all publicly available on the Portsmouth School Department website at www.portsmouthschoolsri.org. The materials on the website include a PowerPoint presentation, a color-coded floor plan of Portsmouth Middle School (PMS) showing where each grade level would be housed, and spreadsheets on the financials. These materials address the following frequent questions:
· Why are we having this discussion?
· Would the students fit?
· What would the grade configuration be?
· What would the savings be?
· How would we move forward?

The attached FAQ answers some additional questions as well.

A few members of the community e-mailed me with individual questions and/or comments after my last communication. I think the materials on the website and in this FAQ address all of the questions I have received, but please e-mail me back if you cannot find the answers to questions you have asked.
— e-mail from Supt. Lusi

Resources:
Download the FAQ
Link to documents on the PSD Web site

Full disclosure: I am an appointed member of the Facilities Committee.

Tags: 
Localblogging, 02871, School Committee, Schools, school transition

Comments

Portsmouth Sailor

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 1:27pm

This may be more of a question for the Town Council than the School Committee, but what happens to the Elmhurst property once the school is moved? Is it possible to sell the property while maintaining Glenn Manor House? or would the entire parcel have to be sold to make it worthy of the kind of $$ that they are after? How do they envision that site being used in say five years? Is that in keeping with the vision the residents of the area and the rest of the town have? Are there costs associated with maintaining the property in the interim or making it ready for sale? Or is it just a knock-down?

I am so glad to see that Dr. Lusi has a 3 year plan, something that even 4 years ago was a pipe-dream. I hope that the Council is considering the implications of this move in their 3 year plan (they have one right?), and understand that they will be left holding the ball. A savings on the School's budget with a new cost added to the Town's budget doesn't save the taxpayer as much as it might appear.

Portsmouth Sailor

John McDaid

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 1:52pm

Hi, Portsmouth Sailor...
Good points, all. At least two Town Council members (Keith Hamilton and Jeff Plumb) were at the finance meeting last week, and are aware that there is a potential $25K/year cost associated with minimum maintenance at the Elmhurst building until they decide what to do with it. And I suspect that the Council would need to have a lot of discussion with the community around any decision about this property, so I would expect this may take some time.

Best Regards.
-j

Portsmouth Citizen

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 9:58am

Just to point out a detail, it may be "one pocket" to us taxpayers by the time we get our tax bills, but the school department and the town must each separately manage the S3050 cap. In other words, the savings from Elmhurst's closing will be reflected on the school department books, while the $25K maintenance cost will go to the town side.

I'm not saying this makes any sense, I'm just saying I think that's how things work under S3050.

John McDaid

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 10:23am

Hi, Portsmouth Citizen...
Well put -- I was reflecting the complaints of several speakers at the finance meeting that the "real" savings should consider the cost to both school and town. But you are technically right in that both sides have to manage to their respective caps.

Best Regards.
-j