Committee formed to evaluate options for Danbury Elementary

BRISTOL — As members of the Newfound Area School Board consider leasing, selling, or returning the discontinued Danbury Elementary School to the town or the newly established Danbury Charter School, they approved forming a working group to discuss the building’s future with representatives of the charter school and School Administrative Unit 4.

Many of those attending school board meetings, writing letters and posting on social media have argued the district should treat Danbury as it has other towns whose elementary schools have closed, selling the buildings back to the town at the nominal price of $1.

“We can’t do that [under a new law] because that’s selling it, and if we sell it, we have to offer it up to a charter school, and that’s any charter school,” school board member Dana Torsey, of New Hampton, said. “And there’s a possibility that a different charter school, not the one that Danbury is trying to create, could essentially outbid them, and now all of a sudden that’s sitting in the middle of Danbury.”

“There is a process for if they want to lease this or enter into something like that," Business Manager Michael Limanni said. "So, they should follow the process like everyone else, not, like, calling this person, or let’s write an article in the paper about it. Let’s talk about this.”

He emphasized the need for transparent information about the condition of the building and maintenance costs.

“Do they know how much it even costs?” he asked. “I’m not being flippant in the idea that, sometimes, taking over an old building is a curse, right?”

Limanni favors arranging a long-term lease “with an organization that can take care of the building and not kill themselves financially,” while keeping it district-owned, in case the trend of declining enrollment reverses.

“You don’t want to make all your building decisions at your lowest enrollment,” he said.

“We haven’t really had much to react to, other than some nuts stuff in the media, and I’m just giving you facts and process that you can execute on, and also putting it in as public a forum as possible, so they can follow the rules on how to manage it. So, it’s like, come in, sit down with us, find out all the ins and outs of that building before you take it over. It’s a smart thing to do.”

Audrey Pellegrino, one of those spearheading the effort for the new Danbury Charter School, disputed the notion there had been no contact with the district and no planning.

“I did have a meeting with the prior superintendent as soon as the school was closed,” she said. “We got a charter school. Yes, we have met with the state. Yes, we have done all the financial planning. Yes, we know how much it will cost. Yes, we applied for the state grant, which would give us $300,000 to redo the building, do the repairs that are necessary, bring it up to the ADA standards that it needs to be brought up to. Since it was a closed building, you cannot just go into it; it has to be brought up to 2027 standards.”

She also addressed Torsey’s hypothetical situation of another charter school outbidding Danbury.

“Yes, I did contact the Plymouth Charter School when this all began to see if they were interested,” she said. “They are not interested in having one in Danbury. And as far as the process and understanding the school ... our facilities manager worked with the State of New Hampshire, and has gone through the Danbury School with the Newfound School District multiple times.”

The school board voted to close Danbury Elementary after voters defeated the proposed operating budget, leaving them to work with a smaller, default budget.

“According to our last superintendent, we saved a million dollars a year by shutting down Danbury,” Torsey said. “Those numbers, I don’t think, are actually accurate, because we’re still heating it and stuff. We have to maintain that empty building, so even if they were perfect, we’re still spending money, because we still have the building. But if we saved a million dollars a year or we saved $800,000 a year over the next five years, because they’re not going to consolidate for another five years, that’s like $4 million we’ve already saved out of closing Danbury.

“Michael is doing a great job. He’s running this like a business. If we don’t have the money to pay for it, we can’t buy it, kind of thing, which is how we need to look at things.”

Torsey pointed out voters will have to decide the fate of the school.

“We’re talking about a lease. We’re talking about possibly selling it. I think we should have a third [option] on [the ballot]: to give it back.”

Noting that Microsoft reports $119 billion of goodwill as an asset, Torsey said, “Goodwill is not always tangible, and part of it is just customer relations, and they were totally unprepared for us shutting it down.

"And all of a sudden, at that meeting, we consolidate, and we shut down Danbury. I think the amount of the dollar value of goodwill that we might get back from Danbury by giving them back their school is worth pursuing, because everything we do in this whole district is we’re supposed to be working together. We represent the whole district. Danbury’s not happy.

"I think the goodwill is immeasurable.

"So, I think it should be a third option on the article, and, you know, lease it, sell it, give it back, and that way the voters have all of that to look at.”

School Board Chair Melissa Suckling, of Danbury, said if the district gives the building back to the Town of Danbury, it would delay opening the charter school by a year, because a long-term lease with the town would have to go before Danbury voters at Town Meeting.

“They can enter a short-term lease, but as we heard from Audrey last time, a short-term lease doesn’t allow them [to obtain] grants. I think the Danbury Charter School would be better-served and quicker if we worked with the Danbury Charter School and did a long-term lease for five years for whatever amount is agreed upon, and then they can access grants and funding and things like that to update the school. That would have to go on the warrant in March, and then if it passes, then that lease is active immediately, and they can start working harder.”

Suckling proposed setting up a committee to work with the Danbury Charter School, “because they’re the only ones who have called with any interest.”

The board approved her suggestion, appointing Torsey and Jake Corneau, of Bristol, to represent the school board.

“I think it would be irresponsible for us to just hand over a project that information hasn’t been shared on, just because whoever may receive it, it could turn into a curse," Corneau said. "It could really turn into more of an anchor than a sale. So, I think learning sessions, info sessions, are very positive, and it’s also very transparent, and I’m all for taking the first step ... in a show of goodwill, and also in a show of our thanks and appreciation to Danbury. And however the people vote on it come March, I think we should be very prepared for that vote to be able to do whatever we need to do.

“March is rapidly approaching, so let’s put something together, and just have some conversations and do it with the realization that March will be here soon," he said.

"I'd love for that committee to be comprised of some some folk from the Danbury community, as well.”