Dateline: May 4,2024
Updated March 22, 2025 at end

The following report on the Grand Opening of the new Community School was written by Melaine Boisvert of the Budget Committee. Photos by Michael Frascinella.

Friday, May 3, 2024, marked the beginning of a new educational journey for the children of Allenstown.

Principal Shannon Kruger and the Eagle Mural

Following an extended April vacation break, the children said goodbye to the Allenstown Elementary School and Armand R. Dupont School and entered the new Allenstown Community School with smiles and excitement. Following the first day of classes, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to dedicate the new school's stage in memory of former SAU Superintendent Peter Warburton.

School and Town Officials on the Performance Stage

Shannon Kruger and Jody Moore honor Peter Warburton

The gym/auditorium has bleacher seating, something the old schools did not have.

Residents filled the bleachers

Notice the "Eagles" logo and the shiny new parquet floor

The library is huge, with a sectional couch for students to relax on.

Matt and Kathleen Lafmamme visited the new school library

Classrooms have the latest technology, and a consumer science classroom offers three kitchens for students to use. There's also a dedicated art room. A spacious cafeteria opens onto a large patio with heavy duty tables.

The Cafeteria

The Music Room

The Allenstown Community School is an 83,000-square foot, state of the art, K-8 educational facility located at 171 River Road. The property is situated on a 59-acre parcel and offers ample opportunities for future growth. The building meets all state Department of Education requirements, offers a safe learning environment, and provides the children with new and exciting spaces, suitable for 21st century learning, which the former facilities could not offer.

Residents were offered tours of the building

Complimentary refreshments were prepared by school volunteers

The Allenstown Community School project was the solution for significant deficiencies and space requirements identified in a feasibility study conducted by The Harriman Group in 2019. A renovation/repairs committee, along with a new building committee, were put into place to address the concerns noted in the report and provide a viable solution to Allenstown's children while being sensitive to tax impacts.

Items of concern consisted of the following:

• Allenstown Elementary School, a 35,440-square-foot facility, was built in 1962 on a 6.1 acre parcel. In 2019, enrollment totaled 195 students, with a building capacity of 179.
• Armand R. Dupont School, built as a parochial school in 1973, a 36,030-square-foot facility, was situated on a 2.5 acre parcel. Enrollment in 2019 totaled 160 students, with a capacity of 144.

The cost to renovate, expand, and repair the Elementary and Dupont buildings ranged from $14 million to $18 million and were limited at best, failing to address long term issues. The cost to build a new middle school for Grades 5-8 was estimated to be $24 million.

In comparison, the Allenstown Community School total project cost was $32,499,360. The School District applied for and received a New Hampshire School Building Aid grant covered $19,499,736 of that. The remaining portion, financed by the New Hampshire Municipal Bond Bank in the amount of $12,999,624, was approved by the citizens of Allenstown in March 2020. This financing, payable over a 20-year term, is priced favorably at a fixed rate of 2.16 percent.

The building committee determined that a new build for a K-8 facility was the most viable option for the children of this community.

What You Can Do

[Updated March 22,2025]

Stay informed about the future of AES and ARD.

In March 2025, both the Select Board and the School Board signed Purchase & Sales Agreements to sell AES and ARD to the town. AES must go through two public hearings for resident comments before the Selectmen can vote to purchase it. For ARD, the Catholic Church has the Right of First Refusal and if declined, it must be offered to the State Charter SChool Agency.

The goal is to purchase AES and then take the time to assess the work needed to convert it into new town offices and rental spaces.