Dateline: May 10, 2024

Allenstown Community School welcomes its first students after a six-year effort to replace old buildings

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

Main Entrance for the New School

Following an extended April vacation break, the children said goodbye to the Allentown 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 to former Superintendent Peter Warburton who passed away in April 2023 after a brief illness.

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

Full size gym with a gleaming parquet floor

The library is huge, with a sectional couch for students to relax on. Classrooms have the latest technology, and a consumer science classroom offers three kitchens for students to use. There's also a dedicated art room.

The LaFlamme family visited the new Library

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.

Principal Shannon Kruger and the School Mascot

The Allenstown Community School project was the result of significant deficiencies and space requirements identified in a feasibility study conducted by Harriman 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. 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 New Building Committee determined that a new building for a K-8 facility was the most viable option for the children of this community.

Story by Melaine Boisvert
Photos by Michael Frascinella