NH budget has good news for Rochester's plans for new school and new courthouse
ROCHESTER — When the New Hampshire state budget was approved June 8, it included money expected to go to a new elementary school and a new district court in the city.
State Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, who is chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said the budget includes $49 million for the state's school building aid program. The Legislature does not determine which projects receive funds.
The state Board of Education previously ranked Rochester the No. 1 community in the state in terms of its need for school building aid.
State school building aid covers 60% of a project's cost. The state Board of Education's calculation is the cost for Rochester's planned school would be just under $26.3 million. This means the state would provide Rochester with nearly $15.8 million, which is less than Rochester school officials were seeking.
When Rochester submitted its application for a new elementary school at 753 Salmon Falls Road, the projected cost was $33.6 million, with anticipated state aid of nearly $20.2 million. This means Rochester would have $17.8 million to pay if it sticks to the plan to build a $33.6 million school.
The new school project calls for a consolidation of elementary schools in Rochester. There are currently eight. The Nancy Loud and School Street schools would close, and the modular classrooms would be removed from Chamberlin School and William Allen School. The minimum enrollment at the new school will be 303 students, with a goal of 18 students per classroom, according to Rochester's plans.
The land on Salmon Falls Road is 40.88 acres, with 12.5 acres being dry, officials have said. The plans call for a 68,000-square-foot building.
While Rochester may not get as much school building aid as it originally hoped, there is good news for school operating budgets in the new state budget, according to Gray.
"The new education funding formula increases state aid to all New Hampshire school districts," Gray said in an email response to questions for this story. "Rochester will receive $29.5 million (an increase of $600,000) in (fiscal years 2024) and $30.2 million (an increase of $1.3 million) in (fiscal year 2025) compared to current law."
Gray said the final amount is less than the House-passed formula, but an increase from past years.
More Rochester news: City approves $165 million budget. Here's what it means for city taxpayers.
Rochester courthouse project
Gray said the Rochester courthouse project received $17.5 million in the capital budget. Likewise, City Manager Blaine Cox said it is his understanding the funding is in place.
In an earlier interview, state Rep. Chuck Grassie, D-Rochester, said the courthouse funding will alleviate a couple of problems, both relative to a lack of space at the current courthouse at 76 North Main St.
The Rochester District Court, built in 1913, is too small to handle its volume of cases, which can create safety issues when the court lobby is overcrowded. The site, originally a post office, has limited access for people in wheelchairs and no public parking.
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A site for the new court has been identified on Rochester Hill Road, a three-acre parcel currently owned by the city.
Sarah B. Lineberry of the state's Bureau of Court Facilities previously said the capital budget for fiscal year 2022-23 allocated $1.161 million for design and engineering for a new court, which would commence upon approval of the current budget proposal.
The new courthouse would be more than twice the size of the existing historic building, at a 24,000-square-foot building. Lineberry said in an earlier interview that the current location is only 11,000 square feet.
Because of space issues in the current court, some Rochester cases are being heard in Rochester and some in Dover, particularly family court cases, according to Grassie.
City officials have expressed interest in acquiring the old courthouse, to continue downtown revitalization efforts.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester: NH budget has funds for new school and new courthouse
