DERRY, N.H. — The Derry Cooperative School Board has voted unanimously to move administrative offices to a vacant school building on South Main Street, at no cost to taxpayers.
Superintendent Michael Flynn presented the recommendation to School Board members at the Nov. 13 meeting, following months of study by an advisory committee tasked with determining the best future use for the Derry Village Elementary School.
The school closed at the end of the 2023-2024 school year as part of a district-wide restructuring plan.
The current administrative offices at 18 South Main St., will be moved to the Derry Village Elementary School, 28 Main St. The property at 18 South Main St. would then be sold and the profits used to offset renovation costs at 28 Main St., making the transition revenue-neutral for the district.
The advisory committee, created earlier this year, conducted a comprehensive review of both sites that included structural assessments, space analysis and market valuations. Their findings showed that the elementary school remains structurally sound and offers sufficient space for administrative offices with targeted renovations and modernization.
Built in the 1960s with a 2000 addition, the elementary school was shuttered as part of a larger district restructuring that changed how and where students should learn. The closure paved the way for a repair and improvement plan that voters approved at Town Meeting in March.
The transition will be a multi-phase project. The first phase would convert existing classrooms into office spaces while updating IT, infrastructure and accessibility features. Board Chairman Michael Theile noted that the 2000 addition remains in decent condition and could serve as office space with modest improvements.
The second phase would include relocating the district’s early education program from Gilbert H. Hood Middle School to a wing of the former elementary school. As part of its discussion, the committee also discussed demolishing the front section of the vacant school and creating soccer fields on the property.
Throughout his presentation, Flynn emphasized the importance of maintaining community access to district facilities. Under the proposal, the elementary school’s multipurpose room would remain available as a resource for town sports and community events.
Repurposing the facility for educational and administrative functions preserved a district-owned asset while avoiding the expense of maintaining a vacant school, Flynn said.
Theile endorsed the recommendation, referring to the poor condition of the South Main Street building and the advantages of consolidating operations at the elementary school site.
Additionally, the recommendation supports what board members have previously identified as long-term fiscal responsibilities and strategic uses of district assets, he said.
The board’s unanimous support signals confidence in a plan that aims to solve multiple challenges: addressing the needs of a deteriorating administrative building, finding productive use for a closed school and doing so without increasing costs to Derry taxpayers.
The proposal will require a warrant article for voter approval in March.