MANCHESTER, NH – Good-bye yellow-brick building.
Cost-cutting measures within Manchester School District have forced Central High School’s administration to make a tough call. The stately “classical building” at Beech and Lowell, which opened in 1897, has served the city well and far outlived the usual lifespan of a turn-of-the-century building. On Thursday, news circulated among Central High School staff that it would likely be the end of an era, with the proposed closure of the building.
Principal John Vaccarezza broke the news via email Thursday.
“As everyone is aware, we have been charged with closing a building at Central. This is not an easy process for anyone and will affect all of us. Obviously, there is a lot that goes into a decision like this such as available space, cost, accessibility, safety, etc. We have met with facilities and members of the SAU. At this time, all signs point to the Classical being completely closed for the start of the 2021/2022 school year,” the email read in part.
In February Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt announced a host of measures to deal with expected budget shortfalls, including the recommended closure of Hallsville Elementary School as one of several cuts expected in the upcoming FY 22 budget.
At that time Goldhardt also talked about closures of certain floors or wings at other schools with low enrollment to save on energy costs.
A copy of the proposed budget overview as presented to the Board of School Committee on Feb. 10 is below.
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