Tension at LHS over plan to convert drama space to weight room

LACONIA — When the School Board meets next week it will likely find itself in the midst of a controversy brewing over converting classrooms adjacent to the auditorium at Laconia High School, which have been used by the school drama club and local performing arts organizations, to a strength training and aerobic exercise facility.

The issue came to light earlier this week when Jessica Alward of the Laconia Streetcar Company wrote to Barbara Luther of the School Board expressing concern about the condition of the auditorium, where the lights failed on the opening night of the company's production of "A Few Good Men" on Saturday. On Tuesday, Alward posted her letter on Facebook. After deploring the state of auditorium, Alward wrote, as if in passing, "now I'm hearing that the performing arts classrooms and storage areas are being taken over by the athletic department. It somehow doesn't seem right," she continued, to take away what little space the drama/music kids have for yet another sports facility."

Alward posted her letter on Facebook at 11:38 a.m. on Veteran's Day. Just before 3:00 p.m. she posted that "The principal (Jim McCollum) says that this is not going to happen. That there are no plans to make such changes," then added "but then I have an e-mail from a faculty member that says he has been informed that this is happening. Also the fact that the rooms are now completely empty is a cue."

Alward stressed yesterday that her son was a member of the football team and she did not seek to discount the importance of athletic programs, but instead to advocate that "equal consideration should be given to all activities."

In the meantime, on Wednesday The Daily Sun received an flyer from Patrick O'Reilly on behalf of Laconia Youth Football announcing fundraising events sponsored by each organization to benefit "new health and wellness facilities at LHS." The flyer explains that "this project entails moving the existing weight room and relocating it into a revamped strength training room and aerboic/cardio room." The facility will be open to members of the community as well as to students and teachers.

Yesterday McCollum acknowledged that he was aware of the growing controversy, but said that because Alward had written to the School Board he could not speak about to it to the press and referred questions to School Superintendent Terri Forsten.

Forsten volunteered that she shared Alward's misgivings about the state of the auditorium, but said that she could not speak directly to the issue of displacing the performing arts to make space for an athletic training room. Likewise, she said she was not in a position to comment on the fundraising efforts begun by Laconia Youth Football.

Questions about how to allocate space within the school buildings, Forsten explained, fell to the principals. "This sort of thing happens all the time," she said. "It's pretty common." She noted that priority must granted to "classrooms, space for students" and ventured "there is enough space to accommodate it all." However, she allowed that anyone with questions could approach the superintendent or the School Board.

Forsten said that she expects to present the issues raised by Alward to the School Board when it meets on Tuesday, November 18 — in the course of her superintendent's report.