Walpole school move raises questions about whether a closure is underway

The board is scheduled to take up the issue again at its July 11 meeting.

Fall Mountain Regional School District is pressing ahead with plans to combine two elementary school programs in Walpole, a change that has stirred criticism from residents who say the district is effectively shutting down North Walpole School without first asking voters.

The district says the building is not being closed. Administrators argue that because no classes will be held there in the fall but the site will still be treated as an educational facility, the situation does not meet the state definition of a closure. School board minutes, however, show that some board members have described the action that way during meetings, and in April one member raised the possibility that the district could be violating its own rules by moving ahead without a town vote.

The debate comes as Fall Mountain continues looking for savings after voters rejected its budget in March. The district serves Acworth, Alstead, Charlestown, Langdon and Walpole and has been weighing ways to cover a $550,000 deficit. One of the main steps approved by the board was transferring students from North Walpole School, which served grades second, third and fourth, to Walpole Elementary School, where fifth through eighth graders attend. That vote was unanimous, according to March meeting minutes.

That move is expected to reduce expenses by eliminating two staff positions and cutting down on travel between campuses. It also leaves the district with a building it owns, rather than continuing to lease a separate office space, according to school board Chair Alissa Bascom.

Still, the question of what becomes of North Walpole School has not been settled. Assistant Superintendent Chris Young said the idea of moving School Administrative Unit offices there was paused after the district realized there could be complications in placing an office operation inside a school building. The issue remains under review.

On Monday, the school board unanimously approved a plan that keeps alive discussions about moving the Central Office from its leased location in Langdon to the recently emptied North Walpole School. Young said the document gives the district room to keep studying possible uses. The board will revisit it three more times before making a final choice.

Board members and administrators have said the district is not yet at the point of closing the building. Young said state law still treats it as a school facility unless the town votes otherwise, and Bascom said the board still has time to decide what should happen next. She also said the current plan is for students to remain at Walpole Primary and Walpole Elementary.

At the same time, residents and at least one board member are pointing to Fall Mountain’s articles of agreement, which say a warrant article must be placed before voters when the district proposes closing any elementary school. Ann Shaughnessy of North Walpole brought a petition opposing the move to a May school board meeting, and she said it had more than 85 signatures. Moriah Aldrich, a North Walpole School parent, also said she believes the district has not done enough to seek community input.

The board has been reviewing several possible uses for the North Walpole building. Along with the central office relocation, other options include selling the property, leasing it to charter schools or programs outside the district, using it for extended school year and summer activities, or keeping some community access to spaces such as the gym, professional development center and board room.

The plan also lists possible costs. Moving the central office could cost more than $50,000, while needed building work such as asbestos removal, electrical upgrades and new partition walls could push the total above $270,000.

The issue has already surfaced in board discussions more than once. During an April 6 meeting, Walpole representative Steve Varone said he supported the consolidation but questioned whether the articles of agreement allow the board to proceed without a vote. Young said the district checked with legal counsel and was told the action is allowed because Walpole would still have an elementary school. He added Wednesday that counsel also said the district must have a plan approved by June 30 before moving forward.

Bascom later drew a distinction between this case and the 2024 closure of the North Charlestown Community School, which went through a voter-approved process. She noted that Fall Mountain has not taken the same step with North Walpole School. The minutes from that April 6 meeting described the discussion as one about closing North Walpole Elementary and consolidating operations at Walpole Elementary.

The board is scheduled to take up the issue again at its July 11 meeting, with another review planned for July 27.