NH RSA 33 describes the bond process in NH.

In general, the District sells municipal tax-free bonds either directly on the bond market or through an intermediary like the NH Municipal Bond Bank. Once the bonds are sold, the District is obligated to pay them back when they mature just like corporate bonds. The interest rate, coupon rate, par value, etc. are determined at the time the bonds are sold. The most recent interest rate estimate is 3.95%.

For additional information: https://www.nhmunicipal.org/town-city-article/abcs-borrowing-municipalities

The construction costs would be funded through the sale of bonds per NH RSA 33. It is up to the Board to determine the length of time the bonds will be paid off. There are many variables that could affect the actual costs, and the final costs won’t be determined until bonds are actually sold. An amortization schedule and projected tax impact chart will be developed by the SAU and reviewed by the ASB posted on this site. The presented plan has a 25-year period. The proposed bond features level-principal repayment, which means the payment will decrease over time.

We invite you to join us for one of our important dates for the most current information.

The District employed the services of a Construction Management firm (CM), DEW Construction, who developed a detailed cost estimate.  This estimate  includes the total project cost, construction cost (hard costs) and soft costs (surveys, permitting fees, escalation, and contingencies for unknown variables).  The estimate was developed using a detailed list of conditions; the structural requirements of the design and a recent review of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements identified by an outside firm.   DEW generated cost estimates and value engineered recommendations based on recent in-house cost data coupled with subcontractor input.   Upon project approval, DEW will competitively bid each trade, with the goal of obtaining a minimum of 3 bids per trade. The Amherst School Board and DEW are committed to inviting qualified local subcontractors and vendors to bid on the project. DEW has a prequalification process that ensures that bidders have established safety programs and proper insurance. As part of their process, DEW ensures there is a proper bid coverage with sensitivity to including local companies. This process will assist in finding the best value available in the marketplace.

The district and DEW have worked diligently to establish a Guaranteed Maximum Price, “GMP.” The GMP is the highest amount taxpayers pay for the project, though if the final price is less than the maximum, the District/taxpayers are not obliged to spend unused monies. Any and all savings may be returned to taxpayers

The vote requires 60% voter support.

The plan presented received 54% in March 2024.  The Amherst School Board intends to bring this same design back to the voters in March 2025. 

The new structure will have all modern HVAC, LED lighting, and significantly improved insulation over the existing structure. All of these should result in lower energy consumption by square footage.

A community survey conducted in 2020 found that class sizes were a strong concern among respondents. At the time, class sizes were among the highest in the state. Amherst School District has addressed staffing to meet the desired student-teacher ratio over the last four years. Since class size ratios have been addressed, additional teachers are not projected as a result of the building project.  The addition or reduction of staff will be driven by enrollment demands. Enrollment projections are steady and allow the district to feel confident in the size of the proposed project and the ability to meet requirements with the existing FTEs.

The building will be more energy efficient than the current Wilkins buildings. It will create an educational facility that aligns with today’s standards to house the programming of an elementary school.

The Town of Amherst offers tax exemptions for elderly and disabled residents, as well as veterans, that are based on specific criteria determined by the Town. Information can be found at the assessing page of the town site.  https://www.amherstnh.gov/assessing/pages/tax-exemption-criteria

2023’s proposal was ranked 7 out of 17 proposals submitted. Even though the project was ranked 7th, there was insufficient funding available. Funding was not likely. ASB continues to advocate for an increase in funds for and changes to the building aid process with local legislative representatives. Building projects are ranked on various criteria, including:

• • Safety and Security

  • Obsolete or Inefficient Conditions

  • Overcrowding/Increased Enrollment

  • Operational Cost Efficiency

  • Maintenance Program

  • District’s eligibility for Free & Reduced Meals

    NH Dept. of Education has indicated that substantial changes to plan will require a new application;  the next application period is April 2025. The ASB is exploring administrative and other appeal options.

To learn more about the process and timeline visit https://www.education.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt326/files/inline-documents/building-aid-process.pdf

No. Voters approve a maximum that can be spent on a bond. The school district does not receive additional funds. If additional houses are built, the additional taxpayers will share the fixed cost. The potential exists for impact fees from new developments to be collected, the fee schedule and collection is managed by the town and coordinated with the schools.

The role of construction manager is important in this process for both the district as well as the taxpayers. For the district, this firm coordinates all aspects of construction, ensures site safety, and delivers a final “guide to the building” for future usage of systems and maintenance. For the taxpayer (and the district), this firm ensures a guaranteed maximum price for construction.

The construction manager is required to build to the budget and provide guidance to the design team and owner on how to best achieve a cost competitive facility with monies available. Before demolition or construction starts, ALL costs are fully defined and understood by all parties.

The dollar amount on the ballot is the high water mark.

Should the project pass, the construction manager bids the project to subcontractors, agrees to a guaranteed maximum price and is bound to that cost. The construction schedule, preconstruction schedule, and material lead times are understood in advance with schedule contingencies. This is how all projects are managed.

Most school buildings are due for renovation around the 50 year mark.Wilkins is 57 years old, is not large enough to meet current enrollment levels or programming needs and requires significant renovation to remain in use. The proposed building will be constructed with durable materials with a target lifespan of 50+ years.

Other system life spans vary:

• Roof: 30 years
• MEP systems: 30 Years
• Flooring: 20 years

Should Article 12 pass, design refinement and input sessions for community, staff, administration, and board will take place over the following 10 months. Construction is expected to begin in Summer 2026 with completion in time for the 2028-2029 school year. During construction, all schools will remain open, utilizing current space to avoid rental costs of portable classrooms where possible.

Phase one includes building the new classroom spaces at the back of the property. Students remain in their current classrooms and schools at this time. Once the classroom portion is complete, the students would occupy those spaces. Construction will begin on the front portion of the building at that time. Two school years will see full construction. If approved in March 2025, groundbreaking would be Summer of 2026.  The new school is projected to be occupied by the 2028-2029 school year.

There have been several iterations throughout the process thus far to reach the proposed renderings we see today. In 2020, the proposed elementary school was three stories tall and was estimated to cost $66 million. The March 2022 bond brought forth a two story elementary building at a cost of $52.2 million, with escalation, the March 2023 cost was at $54.2 million. In March 2024 the proposal was listed at $49.9 million and has an 18% reduction in square footage over the previous proposal. The 2025 building proposal is a consistent design to the 2024 proposal with updated costing at $52,921,828. 

The Board held a retreat in 2023 dedicated to facilities. At that meeting, in response to community response to the previous proposals, the board agreed that the new proposal would focus only on Wilkins. This was to address community concerns about the future of the Clark School if it was no longer to be used by the District. By not consolidating the buildings, the Board has addressed this concern. The Board also agreed to reach out to the Souhegan Cooperative School Board to discuss the possibility of a District-wide preschool program in the Annex, to reduce space concerns at Clark and address concerns raised by community members about underutilized space within SAU 39. The SCSB, which controls usage of the Annex, declined to move forward with that proposal. Lastly, the Board directed the Administration to take another look at the building design through a programming needs lens. As a result of this effort, the current proposal is an 18% reduction in square footage from the previous proposal.

In summary, the request to the community has seen a  reduction in cost and scope from the $83.3 million in 2022, and lower than the $54.2 million in 2023, to $49.9 million in 2024.  The updated costing for 2025 is $52,921,828.

The core community spaces will accommodate a maximum of 864 students – cafeteria, media center, gynmasium. The classroom space will hold a maximum of 756 students, with room in the design for future expansion should the need ever arise. Building community core spaces slightly larger allows for future growth, planning, and expansion, if needed. This building has been designed with one eye on the present and the other on the future. It is a comprehensive and strategic design, targeted at meeting the needs of today and tomorrow.

• Utilizing the Annex: ASB asked SCSB to consider locating a District-wide PreK program in the Annex. This proposal did not move forward at SCSB. The building is also not suitable for middle or elementary uses as it is cut off from all middle and elementary services and would therefore require another layer of administrative and support staffing, resulting in additional staffing costs. Both options would have also required renovations at the Souhegan Campus.
• Building new at the district-owned Birch Park site: This site was purchased 20 years ago for a school. The purchase of the land passed, but the construction failed. The site was reviewed by the architect, but secondary egress challenges and extensive site development costs were an obstacle. This site is not suitable for a project of this scale.
• Acquiring new land: Large tracts and parcels the size required for a school are not readily available in Amherst or are cost prohibitive.  Additionally, the site development cost would be an added increase to the project.
• Expanding and renovating onto existing sites: At Wilkins, the existing structure cannot carry the load of a second story addition. It would take extensive reinforcement and restructuring, which are cost prohibitive.  The Board requested cost estimates for a renovation proposal. The cost for a renovation came in at $46 million, only $3 million less than a build-to-suit option, The renovation option would have resulted in a combination of new and old construction, new and old utilities, undersized instructional spaces, and inefficient instructional and support locations.
• Using vacant retail space: The notion of using empty retail or office spaces was discussed. Many of these types of spaces provide limited access to the outdoors, which is something the community has voiced as a priority over the years. Costs would be incurred as the buildings would have to be brought to educational codes and standards.
• In 2024 the board requested cost estimates for a renovation proposal. 

Many of the existing systems within the current school are at, near, or have exceeded their useful life.  To simply stay in the buildings as is will require updates to major systems in the near future. These updates are costly and do not address space constraints, air quality, academic needs, or other major deficiencies of the buildings. In addition, every year the project start is delayed, costs will increase. This will increase the demand to reduce scale or other features. With the passage of every year, taxpayers will pay more and get less for it.