Candidates Agree School Facilities are the Need

Two superintendent finalists met the general public for the first time at a public forum on Jan. 8, and both agreed that teachers and staff are great in Windham while the facilities are lacking.

"Your facilities are still at the point where you're bursting at the seams," said Winfried Feneberg, who currently serves as assistant superintendent of the Timberlane Regional School District.

"I know in the next six months you're going to work very hard to try to create a solution to (the facility) problem," said Dr. Richard Bergeron, a finalist from the Contoocook Valley Regional School District.

Both told a group of about 35 residents that while the facilities may be lacking, the staff in the four Windham schools are a positive aspect of the district.

Bergeron praised the connections being made in the classroom environments in Windham, saying that it is a dynamic that he has never seen before.

Feneberg said that despite the space crunch, it seems like it hasn't really shown a negative effect on the output that the Windham district gets.

"I think you have huge assets in terms of your teaching staff," he said. You have people that manage to squeeze out every square inch of your buildings effectively."

Both candidates spoke to their past facility accomplishments.

Bergeron was especially proud of his effort to get voters to back a bond for a gymnasium addition at ConVal Regional High School.

"We managed to convince our community to invest in the high school and create a gym wing that will change how we address physical education, wellness and nutrition," he said.

Feneberg said that he has never built a school, but Hampstead has made a comprehensive facilities improvement plan under his wing.

He said that the verdict of that plan was that Hampstead has good core facilities, but that issues remain such as trailers, one of which has been in the district for 17 years.

Feneberg explained that under his tenure, the district's maintenance budget has been vastly improved.

"Our schools are in good shape," he said, describing the renovations that have taken place in most of the classrooms.

While sharing their facility experience, both candidates also stressed collaboration and communication.

Bergeron said that he expects to work hand in hand with the town side of government.

Feneberg said that he and his staff brought focus groups together, took sampling of what town officials needed and spent days meeting to hash out a strategic plan for Hampstead.

He explained that many of the items outlined in his district's strategic plan five years ago have been accomplished today.

On special programs, both candidates touted their Response to Intervention, or RTI programs, which are related to special education.

Bergeron said that his district's program is K-12, and that his team has seen a 6 percent drop over the years in terms of its RTI identifiable group.

Feneberg said that the SAU55 RTI program was initiated first at the kindergarten and first grade levels before later expanding all the way to the middle school.

He said that the RTI program being in both Hampstead and Timberlane was very rewarding.

"You save the taxpayers a lot of money if you can avoid the whole special education process," he said.

School Board Chairman Bruce Anderson said the district is at least two weeks out before coming to any final decision.

Numerous phone calls to both candidates are also taking place at this time.