NSD eNews
Volume XIX Issue 1
Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools
July 26, 2023
Dear NSD Families and Staff,
On Monday, the Nashua Board of Education voted to delay redrawing attendance boundary lines for the elementary schools until the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Consequently all 12 elementary schools will remain open for all kindergarten to grade 5 students for at least the next two years with the current, established boundary lines.
To be clear, this most recent Board decision does not impact an earlier decision to redistrict the middle schools, which will take effect August 2024 with the closing of Elm Street Middle School and the opening of McCarthy Middle School. Please click here for the middle school redistricting map update. If you have questions, please email middleschoolproject@nashua.edu. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mario Andrade, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Nashua School District
Nashua Board of Education
Much of the discussion centered around the possibility of the Board voting to redraw the attendance boundary lines for the elementary schools. As Dr. Andrade noted above, the Board voted to delay redrawing attendance boundary lines for the elementary schools until the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Consequently, all 12 elementary schools will remain open for kindergarten to grade 5 students for at least the next two years with the current boundary lines.
In addition, the Board made other motions regarding school district business.
Committee on Finance and Operations: The Board approved ten separate transactions:
- approved Charlotte Avenue playground upgrades to replace obsolete equipment. The Charlotte Avenue PTO held several fund raisers to pay for the new pieces of equipment, in addition to receiving a $10,000 donation from the Kyle Bedinger Trust. O’Brien & Sons, a playground/landscape company, is willing to give a 6 percent discount for services;
- approved $642,720 contract with Adult Learning Center, Nashua, NH for Clearway High School;
- approved $26,775 contract with Hear to Learn, LLC, Penacook, NH, for audiology services;
- approved $36,000 contract with Boothby Therapy Services, Laconia, NH, for alternative augmentative communication services;
- approved $15,519 purchase of mower from Turf Depot, Hookset, NH;
- approved $76,797.95 purchase of pickup truck from Grappone Ford, Bow, NH;
- approved $234,520 purchase of Freightliner dump truck with snow plow and sander from Sourcewell, a national vehicle fleet group;
- approved the purchase not to exceed $217,443 for articulating aerial platform lift from CUES, Amherst, NH;
- approved $40,993 contract with O'Brien & Sons, Medway, MA for installation of rubberized playground surface at Franklin Street School; and
- approved June 2023 NSD transfer report.
Committee on Policy: The Board approved the following seven policies and rescinded two:
B. Board of Education Governance and Operations
Rescinded BEA-R - Procedures for Participation in a Meeting by Electronic or Other Means
E. Support Services
Rescinded EBCF-A Temporary Policy on Leave Due to COVID
I. Instruction
- IHAM - Health and Physical Education and Exemption from Instruction
- IHAM-R - Health Education Exemption from Instruction: Opt-Out Form
K. School-Community-Home Relations
Committee on Human Resources: Among the 32 personnel recommendations approved, 14 were teacher nominations or change of status, and five were administrators:
The Board approved Dr. Andrade's recommendation to hire Jacqueline Okonak as the new Principal at Mount Pleasant Elementary School. The Board also hired Maria Kendall as Assistant Principal at Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School; Jaime Cochrane as Assistant Principal at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School; Caitlin Burns as Preschool Coordinator at Franklin Street School; and Kate Marcotte as Director of Guidance at Nashua High School North.
New Business: Dr. Andrade notified the Board that Nashua is asking the NH Department of Education (NHED) Bureau of Credentialing to approve identifying teachers of the deaf as a local area of critical shortage.
NHED formerly identified teachers of the deaf as a statewide area of critical shortage, which qualifies viable candidates for the NHED alternative certification process. The shortage of credentialed candidates remains a challenge at NSD, and Dr. Andrade would like NHED to acknowledge the local need in order to take advantage of the alternative certification process for that position. Currently NSD is looking to hire a teacher of the deaf to support students in need at the elementary school level.
Dr. Andrade also advised the Board that Nashua is asking the NH Department of Education to approve Brentwood Academy as a stand-alone school housed at the Franklin Street School. The distinction will allow independence from Nashua High School South with scheduling and grading; with setting tuition increase for out-of-NSD students; with accessing NSD Food Service breakfast and lunch; and with maintaining independent recordkeeping in state special education database.
The next Nashua Board of Education meeting will be held Monday, August 21, 2023 at Nashua High School North.
Graduates Earn Bilingual Award
The New Hampshire Department of Education announced last week that three Class of 2023 North graduates earned a Seal of Biliteracy Award. Congratulations to …
- Anyolina Fernandez
- Bo Wei Kou
- Ana Ramos
The three earned the award for their competency in Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese, respectively.
The Seal of Biliteracy Program recognizes students who have attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more language other than English.
To achieve the distinction, students must complete all English language requirements for high school graduation and demonstrate proficiency in a world language through one of 23 approved world language assessments or through a portfolio demonstration.
New Hampshire is one of 49 states to participate in the Seal of Biliteracy Program.
Once again, congratulations to Anyolina. Bo Wei , and Ana! They were among 88 recent high school graduates from 17 different New Hampshire high schools to earn this distinction.
MMS Construction Update
While most are on summer school vacation, construction continues at McCarthy Middle School, off Buck Meadow Road. Harvey Construction of Bedford, NH, is the contractor for the $93.5 million school, designed by Harriman of Auburn, Maine. Construction is on schedule, with one wing ready for furniture with walls, floors, ceilings, HVAC and electrical units, and most light fixtures installed. Athletic fields have been leveled and seeded, giving two seasons of growth before occupancy in August 2024. Note photo above, looking out to Medallion Drive, and photos below, left to right, of the main entrance, cafeteria with stage, and a classroom.