Background

The Keene School District is facing serious funding challenges. While per-student expenditures are in line with NH averages at Keene High School and just slightly above average at Keene Middle School, over the past ten years Keene's elementary school costs have been 24-40% higher than state averages.

In March 2010, The KSD Elementary Ad Hoc Advisory Committee was formed by the Keene Board of Education to explore how we can reduce elementary school costs while continuing to provide an excellent education. Over the next year the Committee hosted a series of public forums, drawing many participants into the conversation. Click here for a link to download the Ad Hoc Committee's final report and other resources.

The administration's recommendation

At a Special Meeting of the Keene Board of Education in October 2011, the SAU 29 administration recommended that Jonathan Daniels Elementary School be closed beginning with the 2014 school year in order to reduce operating costs by an estimated $1 million per year in order to protect the educational programming we value most. The recommendation also called for grade spans in the the remaining four schools to be reconfigured as follows:

• Franklin School: Kindergarten through Grade 1  – paired with Fuller School: Grades 2 through 5.
• Wheelock School: Preschool through Grade 1  – paired with Symonds School: Grades 2 through 5.
  
  

The proposal (click here to download a PDF file) came after more than two years of study by the district into ways to reduce operating costs and maintain a high quality educational program.

The Board's decision

The Keene Board of Education solicited the public's feedback on the Administration's proposal via two additional publc events and this website. After careful consideration of all factors, the Board voted on December 13, 2011 to close Jonathan Daniels School by 2014 -- and to further study the following grade span options in the four remaining elementary schools:

• Option A: Kindergarten and Grade 1 (Franklin and Wheelock) paired with grades 2-5 (Fuller and Symonds)
• Option B: Kindergarten through Grade 3 (Fuller and Symonds) paired with grades 4&5 (Franklin and Wheelock)
• Option C: Kindergarten through Grade 5 in all four schools (The Wheelock preschool will also be considered in this review)

What's next?

The next step -- which will happen in January -- will be for the Board to form a steering committee which will be charged to oversee the work necessary to move from five to four schools. Subcommittees may include:

• • Curriculum
• • Enrollment
• • Facilities
• • Re-purposing Daniels School to accommodate other Keene School District needs
• • Special Education
• • Transitions
• • Transportation and Redistricting

Those interested in serving on the steering committee or any of the subcommittees are invited to send an e mail to Wayne Woolridge wwoolridge@SAU29.ORG or to call him at 357-9002 EXT. 221.

In addition, please feel free to contribute your thoughts online.

You can download copies of all public presentations that were made during the decision-making process by clicking on our Resources page.