MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday night, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) discussed the possibility of “pausing” actions that would close Wilson Elementary School and create a brand new Beech Street School.
The BMA approved bonding in December for a new Beech Street Elementary as part of Phase 1 in the Manchester School District’s Facilities Plan. Students from Wilson Elementary would be placed into a new, bigger Beech Street School upon the recommendation of Manchester School District administrators who have found that Wilson Street has become too dilapidated for effective education, with closure being more cost-effective than renovation.
Bonding approved for Phase 1 also included the finalization of renovations needed for transferring fifth-grade students into the city’s middle schools and planning for potentially renovating or building new high schools in addition to the Wilson/Beech Street proposal.
BMA Chairman Joseph Kelly Levasseur felt that the process relating to the Beech Street plan did not receive proper public oversight, an opinion shared by Ward 6 Alderman Crissy Kantor and Ward 12 Alderman Kelly Thomas.
Levasseur also felt that more questions needed to be answered before action should be taken on the school after receiving feedback from constituents. He also stated that state statute required approval from the Joint School Buildings Committee, a special committee consisting of Aldermen and members of the Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC).
“The outrage in this community is palpable and warranted,” he said.
Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long and Ward 4 Alderman Christine Fajardo fought back against that assertion, noting that discussion relating to the Facilities Plan has been ongoing since April of 2023 and that the BOSC invited Aldermen to provide feedback in the deliberation process.
“Someone saying it was rushed through in the darkness says that they didn’t follow the process,” said Long.
Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio felt that the motion to “pause” any actions relating to the discussion of Beech Street, originally made by Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza, was warranted. Terrio felt that the need to invest more in curriculum rather than facilities, although much of the discussion centered around confusion over whether this action was within the purview of the BMA.
Ward 5 Alderman Tony Sapienza, who made an amendment to the bonding motion in December that any funding could not be used for the destruction of JFK Coliseum, felt that the particulars of Phase 1 were fluid. Long disagreed, stating that all the information had been provided to the Aldermen.
There was also confusion over what impact this decision might have to contracts already approved by the BOSC and if taxpayers would be on the hook for paying that money regardless of whether they were discontinued. Additionally, there was confusion on the BMA whether the move itself tried to usurp the authority of the BOSC, since the city owns the city’s public schools but the BOSC administers them until they approve to take them out of use.
Eventually, the BMA went into non-public session to discuss the issue of contracts underway regarding Beech Street, returning with a motion requesting that the school district pause all spending on Phase 1 until it provides a presentation to the BMA and that future spending decisions must go through the Joint School Buildings Committee.
The BMA approved this motion 9-6, with Long and Fajardo joined by Dan Goonan (Ward 2), Dan O’Neil (At-Large), Jim Burkush (Ward 9) and Bill Barry (Ward 10) in opposition.
Just prior to the vote, it was clarified that the first portion of the motion was symbolic as the BMA does not have the authority to dictate school-related decisions to the BOSC. It is believed that the second part of the motion has legal authority through an unspecified part of the city charter and RSA 199:3 and 199:4. Earlier this month, the BOSC approved new guidelines that could conflict with the second part of the motion, recommending a more streamlined process for expenditures under $50,000 within Phase 1. Those guidelines were approved upon the understanding that there are many mundane smaller decisions within other decisions that arise such as subcontracting or supplies that are time-sensitive in terms of price.
Watch the full meeting below.
