The Kearsarge Regional School Board set the long-term goal of a “two-school elementary configuration” last week, recommending the closures of Simonds Elementary School in Warner and Sutton Central Elementary School in Sutton.
Superintendent Michael Bessette said in a letter to families on Thursday that the board directed him to prepare for a summer 2028 implementation. Children’s enrollment in either school will not be affected during the 2026-2027 school year.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to close the schools comes down to a town vote. A successful citizen petition advocating for one or both closures could also accelerate the process, allowing the schools to close as soon as the end of the coming school year.
“The work these teachers do in every one of those elementary schools is amazing work with kids. They are hardworking, they are dedicated, and the communities respect that,” Bessette said in an interview. “This is about trying to come to terms with trying to make the best decision for a district that’s going to lead us into a future that’s way down the road.”
Bessette said Simonds and Sutton Central were singled out because both schools needed critical infrastructure repairs that may not be worth the increased taxpayer burden. With continuously smaller class sizes year after year and the potential for a school district tax cap, consolidation was seen as the best option in the school board’s eyes, Bessette said.
Despite this, the news of their potential shuttering stunned some parents and residents who offered the school board their thoughts during a public comment period.
Abigail Strauss’s daughter is not old enough yet to attend Simonds, but Strauss intentionally moved to Warner to be near a safe school.
She urged the board to explore other options that would allow the district to keep Simonds without raising the tax burden on Warner residents, especially those on fixed incomes.
“I can see Simonds from my home. I’ve been waiting 10 years to send my daughter there next year,” she said at the meeting. “I would like my daughter to go to a safe school. I would like her to go to a school that she can walk to, a small school … We want to encourage other families like ours to stay in New Hampshire.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated to accurately reflect the location of Sutton Central Elementary School.
