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What's next for Manchester West?
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By BETH LAMONTAGNE HALL
New Hampshire Union Leader
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009
MANCHESTER – When West High School opened its doors this fall, it was a lot easier to get through the halls.
Missing were the Bedford students who once sat in class, ran track and played in the band alongside students from the West Side and Hooksett. It's been three school years since Bedford opened its own high school and began phasing out the students they sent to Manchester West. In that time, the school population has dropped by 760 students -- about 36 percent -- and 35 teacher positions have been cut.
Although some ideas have been tossed around, the school department has yet to decide what to do with the slimmed down West High School. Some in the community are wondering what is taking so long.
►West students see pros and cons
"The administration knew all these things five years ago. There was money there," said Alderman-at-Large Michael Lopez. "The only missing piece of the puzzle was, 'What are we going to do when Bedford leaves?' and nobody addressed it. Now it's a reality."
"I know people are wondering why this is taking so long. It's not something you jump into," said Superintendent Tom Brennan. "Since I've been here, I've been hearing about dealing with West. It is a priority of mine. Up until now, I've had other things to deal with. I can truly appreciate their frustration."
And Brennan has taken action. Last week, he met with school administrators to begin developing a plan for West that he said will take into account the needs of the entire district.
Manchester public high school principals and physical plant managers discussed the facilities, available parking and classroom space at each school, as well as what teachers and staff needed to better meet the students' educational needs.
Junior Jason Schmeltz plays the bass drum at a West High pep rally last week. Bedford students are now attending their own high school, and West has 36 percent fewer students. (THOMAS ROY)
Brennan said he will continue gathering information this fall, including revisiting the work done by the Future of West High School Committee in 2007. He wants to present a choice of plans to the school board sometime in the spring.
Brennan said one possibility is to move the SAU 37 administrative offices to a portion of West High School. With budget cuts and a reduction in administrative staff, he said, the district doesn't need the large space it currently rents in the Waumbec Mill. The move would save the city $360,000 a year in rent, but there is concern the school may not have enough parking.
Another option is making West a specialty high school either in the form of a magnet school or by adopting the academy system. In 2008, the school board voted to create an academy system that would give students a more hands-on educational experience and the chance to pursue their career goals, but with a start-up price tag of more than $280,000, the program stalled because of a lack of funding.
Redistricting is also being considered. Both Memorial and Central high schools are crowded, and shifting some of these students to West might seem like a natural solution. But Brennan also knows redistricting can be an emotional issue for families.
"Is (the answer) taking 600 students from Central and relocating them?" asked Brennan. "There's a lot of pride in those schools, and we have to take that into consideration. People have, in some cases, generational connections to their schools."
Another redistricting option would be making West the default school for Hooksett students, shifting those that go to Central across the river. That idea seems less likely in recent weeks after Hooksett school officials sent a letter to the mayor making it clear they are dissatisfied with the way Manchester schools are being run. The town is now looking into whether to build its own high school and move out of the city schools.
"We have a fairly severe issue at West," Hooksett Superintendent Charles Littlefield told the Union Leader last month. "With Bedford's pullout, the population has decreased significantly. It's difficult to field athletic teams and offer (advanced placement) courses when we have the number of students we have at West."
If the Manchester School District wanted to put all the Hooksett students at West, the school contract would require Hooksett's permission to do so. With an already tense relationship with Manchester schools, the town might not respond well to moving its students.
"It's difficult for a community that's always gone to one school be redistricted to another school," said Kathleen Kelley, an at-large school board member. "Because of our contract, it's really up to them if they want to act."
Of all the options for West's future being discussed, Kelley said, none has gained more favor than the others.
Brennan agreed that at this stage, the district is looking into all options.
"Right now, we have several ideas out there, and we need to get a better idea of what to do," said Brennan. "We're ready to do that."
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YOUR COMMENTS
Ron,
Newsflash: Bedford High just won state championship for golf. Tennis (with no seniors last year was top 5 in the state). Bedford contributed roughly 60% to all of the West High teams over the years (one of the reasons Baines wanted our kids; the other had to do with money and test scores; just ask him).
Let's revisit your comments in a couple more years when Hooksett is gone (probably Auburn and Candia too) and see how things stack up then.
On the facilities side, if your elected officials don't get their act together (they can if they put their minds to it) you will have extra capacity that will cost you to carry without the revenues you have enjoyed for decades.
By the way, the sending towns didn't pay for capital; that's because Manchester spent very little to improve, expand, or upgrade the facilities.
- Bill, Bedford NH
I do agree with Fred from Amherst finally. It is his first post that does not whine about teacher compensation
- Craig, Manchester, NH
Chris, it has nothing to do with the Bedford kids per se and everything to do with taking away 40% of the students (thus the talent pool). The West sports teams have by and large been weak for many years. The Bedford kids weren't exactly knockin em dead when playing against class L and division 1 talent.
- Ron, Manchester
Remember it was I who advocated for Manchester to have 2 public high schools. Central and Memorial. West could have been leased to the town of Bedford and could have become a regional High School for Bedford, Hooksett and the other towns who do not have high schools. It made so much sense to me that I knew no one else would listen.
Greg Barrett
- Greg Barrett, Manchester
Ron,
What you fail to realize is how poorly the West High School Teams are doing since Bedford pulled out. The same would happen to Central if Hooksett left. My advice to Hooksett parents is seek alternatives like Pembroke, Pinkerton or Trinity.
- Chris, hooksett
Well, it seems as though both CJ from Hooksett and & DC from Bedford are a little touchy about the subject. Here's little news flash for you two. Up until this last contract was signed, neither of your towns had ever been asked to pay a tuition amount that would contribute to capital improvements in our high schools. That my friends is called a subsidy. Don't get me wrong, I blame our city officials for this. Bedford and Hooksett were just taking advantage of a situation as I would have.
CJ, there have been Hooksett kids at West High for as long as the agreements have been in place. I went there over 30 years ago and had more than a few classmates from your town. Also CJ, you have stated a few times before that Centrals sports programs would be decimted if Hooksett left. Check out how well those Bedford High teams are doing. With the exception of the girls soccer team, it's one sound thrashing after another.
- Ron, Manchester
You're clueless as usual, Ron. Hooksett has a CONTRACT that states what we pay and what schools our kids will attend. Maybe in YOUR world a contract doesn't matter but in this world it does.
Hooksett sends $9,500 per student to Manchester; that totals approximately $5 million this year. I'd like to see what you'd do with $5 million less revenue in the school budget. Undoubtedly, you haven't figured out that Manchester MAKES money on the kids who are tuitioned into the district.
So I say, go ahead, break the contract, then let's see what happens. If you want to push Hooksett out, then fine, start deciding how you're going to close West because you're not going to have enough students or money to keep it open.
- CJ, Hooksett
To Ron in Manchester,
If you honestly think you're subsidizing education, I think you'll find the 18k+ that you screwed in Bedford a different sentiment.
Bedford didn't have to leave...everyone in Manchester that blames Bedford should look in a mirror and blame themselves for being too greedy.
- DC, Bedford
There's multiple great things to do with West and they'll all get screwed up somehow. Don't reinvent the wheel, just redistrict already so the 3 high schools will have some equality.
- J Paige, Manchester
Sue from Hooksett, we Manchester taxpayers are tired of subsidizing your childs education, so get crackin on that high school will ya.
Ed, the schools are not understaffed. they are staffed with useless para-professionals and other feel good positions that do not improve the quality of education one iota.
Fred, I can't believe I finally agree with you on something. You hit the nail (solution) right on the head. Immediately upon the withdrawal of Bedfords students, the school district should have made provisions for all Hooksett students to start attending West and should have done a redistricting of the east side to better allocate the students between Central and Memorial. If Hooksett didn't/doesn't like it, they are free to fund and build their own high school. Kudos to the unamed teacher who said the same thing.
- Ron, Manchetser
The solution is simple -- redistrict. Memorial and Central are bursting at the seams. If people don't like it, too bad. Get involved and make West a school you can be happy to send your kids to. Someone needs to show some leadership here. Who exactly is standing in the way of this?
Why not just tell Hooksett that from now on all of your kids are going to West. Then re-draw the line dividing Central and Memorial kids so Memorial gets a reduction in students equal to about half what Central would be losing from Hooksett and Central gets a few more kids from Manchester.
Should work out so all three schools have about the same number of students and all three have about 10% less than they did before Bedford moved out. They'll still be overcrowded, but at least this will help a little.
- Fred, Amherst
Ed is right here about the "overcrowding" and Academy model is perfect, but the school needs fund. and to "manchester high school teacher" you are obviously not from West, as West has not been able to really buy "new" supplies for the past 4 years. they are not saving supplies. silly.
and, wouldn't Hooksett's concern about sports and honors classes be nulled if they sent ALL their students there?
- hogan, manchester
The smart thing would be to cut back and save the taxpayers $$$$
In today's PC, Liberal, Social society I can see an opportunity for day car centers for students. (Yes high school kids have kids, this is the 21 st Century)
Another option I wouldn't count out is expanded cafeteria for school kids. After all instead of educating children, our public school system has become an extension of social services.
And last but not least, temporary shelter for families with students.
All of which will end up costing the taxpayer more money.
If anyone thinks I made this up, or I'm some kind of right wing wacko, look at urban areas around the U.S. and see for yourself.
- Harry, Atkinson
I have to laugh when I read that there might not be enough parking for a portion of SAU administration to locate to West. Thirty five teacher positions have been cut, so there is at least available parking for 35 people. Just how many people is a portion of SAU administration? Has no one noticed that the parking at the current Commercial Street location is not sufficient?
Could it be that SAU personnel within the simple concrete block structure of a school is just too low rent a situation for such esteemed individuals? Maybe they can posh up their portion of West to make it sufficient for their use. Parking is a lame excuse. There might be good reasons for a portion of the SAU not to be relocated to West, but none are presented in this article.
It seems it would be a good thing to have more administrators closer to actual students and the learning environment. It might be a little more difficult for SAU administrators to forget why their jobs exist.
- A Manchester taxpayer for education, Manchester
Unfortunately, all of this confusion and lack of leadership does nothing for the parents of those who children who are a year or two away from graduation. Moving to NH is proving to be a real nightmare for this family, between all the problems in Hooksett and issues popping up in Manchester. We certainly miss the stability and strong leadership of MA communities. Can't wait to go home again.
- Tom Donovan, Hooksett
Sounds like the answers to the problems are right here in this article but maybe they seem to obvious for the administrators to figure out, so I will point them out for you.
If the SAU office relocates out of the Mills it will save $360,000. The cost (start-up) to make an academy or magnet school is $280,000. If I crunch the numbers, in year 1 the school district would SAVE $80,000 from doing this. Seems like you could do it without spending fresh dollars. In year two there would be $360,000 in net savings, unless there were costs that are not laid out here, but simply shifting teachers, which would already be done in year 1, would not cost more money. Seems like a no-brainer.
Second option; shifting other kids would not be the burden it is made out to be. True, some families have ties to certain schools and, perhaps, multi-generational ties. In Bedford we had an 80 year history with Manchester West and, while there was some concern and anxiety over leaving West and building a high school here, and uprooting kids from one district and moving them to an entirely different (and new) no one is any worse for the wear over here.
I am sure there are other options which would better enhance education and maximize what Manchester has in terms of facilities. They will succeed if they focus on what THEY need. The problems of the past were that people like Bob Baines were so enthralled with having lots of kids come into Manchester who brought tuition funds with them, ran track, played football, played in the band, etc, that he could never see past the days sending towns would stop sending kids and money. The solution has always been from within; Manchester can and will come up with a plan for the future and the time is now and the solutions are not far-fetched.
- Bill, Bedford NH
It is time to make a decision and redistrict. Why should the students at Central and Memorial be overcrowded in the classrooms, cafeteria and hallways when West has all that extra space. In addition, students are without supplies and books at Central and Memorial, what has happened to all of the extra materials at West, are they being stored in a closet? At one time a plan was drawn up to make Union Street and East-West dividing line and send everyone west of Union to West High. Too bad if it has always been "tradition" to send the kids to a certain high school. Traditions end, the city has changed and its time to move one and do what is best for the city and the kids. If you don't like the thought of sending your kids to West for one reason or another, then get involved and help build the school into a place you can embrace. We need to stop investigating this issue and do something now.
- Manchester High School Teacher, Manchester
Regarding creating and academy model, I think it's the best solution, and it was propsed 3 years ago. I'd like to know how Alderman Lopez can say "there was money there", and yet this article reports "the program stalled because of a lack of funding".
Also, recent class-size issues at Central and Memorial aren't due to the schools being overcrowded, it's because they're understaffed. Simply shifting students to West won't solve the problem if we don't hire more staff. But once again, I fear that problem will stall because of a "lack of funding". These problems are all linked to funding.
- Ed, Manchester
Boo UL this is the same basic boilerplate story on West that's been written for 1-2 years now. The other sidebar has more info but needs more info, data, to support it ... it's an afterthought throw away story that you got from asking for input on your website.
Why not have number of members of sports, bands, the newspaper (Hey that's a club to look at eh UL? a newspaper), etc. and compare them over 4 years and not a 4 hour rush job to print.
More reporting tricks and no treats or facts from the NHUL.
- RG, Manchester
Hooksett needs to get out of Manchester and build it's own high school. Tired of sending my kid to Manchester.
- Sue, Hooksett
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