Stratham rethinks school’s $50M overhaul amid taxpayer outcry: 'We went too far'

STRATHAM — A $50 million project to renovate and expand Stratham Memorial School is no longer on the table.

The town's School Board announced Wednesday it is “drastically shifting priorities," citing concerns from taxpayers regarding the cost to upgrade and expand the elementary school.

“We heard you loud and clear,” said School Board member Paul Tusini.

School Board Chair Jennifer Scrafford said they plan to pare down the project to fix and renovate what is needed in the 35-year-old building. She said the new plan will focus on fixing the necessities and addressing the educational needs of the school.

These “minimum necessary requirements,” she said, include replacing the boilers, roofing, the plumbing system and installing an air conditioning system on the second floor.

“Overall, there is no AC in the building, and especially upstairs, it gets really hot,” she added. “We’ve had to cancel school in the past because it just gets too hot on the second floor.”

According to Scrafford, the proposed improvements to the school are based on a feasibility study that was completed in 2019.

“There has also been conversation about what is the building to Stratham. What do we want the building to be?” she said. “So we started looking at what the educational needs are for kids at this age. Then we started looking at what the community needs.”

That led them to consider the expansion of the gym, turning the library into a Learning Commons with “interactive and innovative reading resources for students” and adding a stage for theater shows, which drove up the cost. Scrafford added those plans were never approved by the board and they were only ideas brought up in conversations.

“One of the things we’re really looking at is how are we serving the needs of the students – education has changed since 35 years ago, and so the spaces need to change,” she said.

“I think once we started hearing that the townspeople said, 'it’s too much,' the subcommittee is kind of rolling back and saying maybe we went too far with that one.”

'Kids were crying': Seabrook School Board under fire after principal departure

Taxpayers urge board to scale down school renovation project

Before the board announced they were moving forward with a scaled-down project, several residents spoke against the $50 million price tag.

While they support improvements to the school, many stated that $50 million was too much for taxpayers.

The majority that spoke acknowledged they do not currently have children in the school system.

Glen Wass said he is “fearful” improvements beyond what is required would increase taxes to the point that it would price out those on a fixed income.

“You also can’t forget the fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers here, and I think that’s getting lost at times, in my opinion,” he said. “So please think of the taxpayers.”

James Scamman said that the School Board should divide the project into two parts, focusing on repairs first and expansion later.

Others who spoke echoed similar sentiments.

John Scheel, who has three grandchildren currently in the school, said the board has to be “more sensitive” to the taxpayers whether they have kids in the school or not.

Scheel also pointed out that while taxes have increased over the years, school testing performance results have gone down. According to US News, Stratham Memorial School is currently 83rd in the state for elementary schools.

“Well, that’s not good enough for Stratham, especially with the amount of money we spend,” he said. “I would say if the teachers get the performance better, get a better ranking for Stratham, then other things will come – maybe more money for building renovations.”

More: SAU 16’s diversity, equity director Andres Mejia resigns

School Board seeks input on proposed renovation of elementary school

School Board member Paul Tusini, who chairs the subcommittee for the school renovation project, said the next step would be to form a larger subcommittee. The group, he said, should consist of residents of all ages with diverse backgrounds.

Tusini said they will start taking applications for those who want to serve on the committee on June 3. The goal, he said, would be to make appointments by June 13.

The subcommittee will meet throughout the summer to “better determine the scope of building repairs and maintenance must-haves.”

As of right now, Scrafford, chair of the board, said the new budget for the project is unknown. However, she clarified the goal is to put out a bond for the project at the next Town Meeting in March.

“I hope our committee has young parents on it and also older taxpayers,” she said. “I think we share common concerns – we all pay taxes, and we’re all worried about our kids… All of these voters are essential to the process. We have to come together as a community.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Stratham rethinks school’s $50M overhaul amid taxpayer outcry